Written in the Stars
by daddyslittleprincess123
Summary: The day Aria and Ezra met, both sensed something magical about their connection. When Aria walks into English class on her first day of senior year, Ezra is her teacher. Will their love be strong enough to surpass the law and the judging speculation of others? Challenges erupt when they aren't the only ones involved, and Aria has to protect her 2 year old daughter Scarlett.
1. Home and Whole

Written in the Stars

Chapter 1: Home and Whole

"We're almost home, baby," 18 year old Aria Montgomery said with a hint of a smile on her lips as she drove past the Welcome to Rosewood sign for the first time in a little over two years. She glanced in her rearview mirror and smiled at the toddler with long dark curly hair and big hazel eyes who was currently sound asleep in her booster seat. Aria quietly reached her hand forward and turned the music down so her little girl could sleep better.

At two years old, Scarlett Harper Montgomery was everything Aria could ever want. She was gentle but spunky, and she loved books even though she couldn't read yet. She was disciplined but also free-spirited, and, at times, Aria could see her own stubbornness in her little girl. Even though Aria was only 16 when she gave birth to Scarlett, she knew that she wouldn't take back any of the choices she'd made.

Aria sighed and ran a hand through her long, curly hair and glanced at her sleeping little girl once again. She could remember the exact moment she found out she was pregnant, and shortly after that, the exact moment her life began moving downhill…

"_Come on. You can do this," Aria muttered to herself through clenched teeth. Her eyes were closed tightly, and she had been trying to convince herself to open them and read the results on the little white stick in front of her for the past five minutes. A few tears leaked down her cheeks as she once again thought about the predicament she was in. She was 16 year old, and instead of having the time of her life at the party her friends were currently at, she was trying to convince herself to read the results from her pregnancy test._

_When did her life become so complicated?_

"_Just read it! You can do it," Aria muttered again, and this time she actually did open her eyes. She took a deep breath, then looked down at the little white stick she was holding in her shaking hands. A little pink plus sign glowed up at her, and she quickly dropped the stick and put one hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming or throwing up or both. _

_She was pregnant. She was only 16 years old, just a baby herself, and she was having a baby._

"_Oh God," Aria sobbed as she slid down the bathroom wall and plopped down on the cold, tile floor. She laid her head down on her knees and allowed herself to sob. Her entire life was going to change. She was going to be a mom._

_After a few minutes, Aria picked her head up and, with shaking hands, wiped at her tears. She glanced down at her flat stomach and bit her lip as more tears came. She hesitantly placed one hand over it and began rubbing small circles over it._

"_I'm having a baby," she whispered as she stared at her stomach, almost as if in a trance._

"_What am I going to do?" she whispered in a broken voice as more tears began to fall from her eyes. She was barely old enough to drive, and she was about to become responsible for another human being for the rest of her life. With shaking hands, she pulled her phone out of the back pocket of her blue jean shorts and sent out an "S.O.S" to each of her four best friends. It made her feel better to know that they would be at her house in just a few moments. She needed them now more than she'd ever needed them before._

_Hanna was the first one to arrive just five minutes later. Aria listened as Hanna called her name, but she couldn't answer. She was frozen._

"_Aria?" Hanna asked gently as she stuck her head in Aria's bathroom. Concern clouded her features when she spotted her best friend crumbled up on the floor. She hurried over to her and sat next to her, pulling her in for a hug in the process. She began smoothing her hair and rubbing her back._

"_What happened?" Hanna asked gently, the possibilities ranging from bad to worse in her head. When Aria only shook her head, Hanna began to look around the bathroom. Her eyes landed on the little white stick that laid on the ground only a few inches from her feet. Hanna furrowed her eyebrows and reached for it. As she picked it up and noticed the glowing pink plus sign that marked it, her expression changed from confusion to heartbreak. She gently set the stick back down and held on to Aria more tightly._

"_Oh, Aria. It's going to be okay. I promise, everything's going to be okay," Hanna murmured, but she wasn't sure she believed the words she was promising her best friend. Would everything be okay?_

_Hanna was still murmuring to Aria as Alison and Spencer rushed in the room. They both looked from Hanna to Aria worriedly, and Hanna just pointed to the test because it explained everything better than she would be able to. Tears filled Spencer's eyes and Alison's jaw dropped as they, too, noticed the tiny pink plus sign. They quietly arranged themselves on the other side of Aria. Nobody knew what to do, or what to say._

"_Aria? Where are you?" Emily asked worriedly as she bounded into the bathroom. She saw all of her friends gathered around the crying Aria, a few tears falling from their eyes as well, and her heart automatically dropped to her stomach._

"_What's going on? Somebody please tell me," Emily said, almost in tears herself, as she seated herself next to Hanna and began stroking Aria's hair. Alison handed the pregnancy test over to Emily._

"_Oh no," Emily whispered as she stared at the little pink plus sign. She glanced at her friends, then back at the test. How could this be happening?_

"_It's going to be okay, Aria. We're all here for you, and we aren't leaving," Hanna murmured as Aria continued to cry. A few minutes later, Aria slowly sat up and rubbed her red, puffy eyes. She took her time looking at each of her friends and then down at her stomach again. Her hand was still rubbing circles on it._

"_W-What am I going to do?" Aria asked as tears began to fill her eyes again. She willed herself not to let them fall; she couldn't cry forever. She needed to pull herself together and figure things out. Spencer, who was rubbing up and down Aria's arm gently, was the first one to speak._

"_You have options, Ar. Abortion and adoption are both on the table. You don't have to drop everything and raise a baby if you're not ready to," she replied gently, her voice full of emotion. Aria clutched her stomach a bit tighter at Spencer's statement. _

"_What if I am ready to?" Aria asked quietly, not meeting any of her friends' eyes. She knew she sounded insane, but, even though she had been hoping for a negative on the pregnancy test, she had been fitting her baby into her life ever since she bought the test. It was her baby, her flesh and blood, and though unplanned, she couldn't help but love it already._

"_Aria…" Emily left out slowly after processing Aria's question. She was worried that Aria wasn't thinking the situation through properly. Judging by her other friends' reactions, they were thinking the same thing._

"_You realize what you're saying, right? That you're ready to give everything up and put all of your dreams aside? That you're ready to be a mom?" Alison asked slowly. She couldn't believe the situation they were in. She couldn't believe that Aria's entire life, and inevitably their lives, were about to change completely. _

_Aria breathed out a small sigh. She had anticipated their reactions, but she knew she could make them understand. Nobody understood her better than her girls. She looked up and met the shocked expressions of her four best friends._

"_I know I sound like I've lost my mind, but please hear me out. I'm not happy about this at all. Noel and I were evidently not as careful as we'd thought we were, and I never expected this to happen. But, it did, and I have to step up and do something about it. Ever since the possibility that I could be pregnant entered my mind, I was beyond scared, but I also began fitting my baby into my life. I started rearranging my life in my head, and I can't just put it back the way it was now. I can do this; I can raise my baby. I know I can. I... I can't give it up now. I love it too much," Aria finished, wrapping both arms around her stomach protectively. She looked from Spencer to Ali to Emily to Hanna, and she smiled a small smile. She knew by the looks in their eyes that they believed her, believed in her, and would help her with anything she needed. She knew that her little baby already had the best aunties on the planet._

"_Dibs on Godmother!" Hanna exclaimed suddenly, a big smile on her face as tears glistened in her eyes. Aria laughed at her best friend, feeling better already. She was about to promise the special title to Hanna, when she heard a surprised "Oh my God" come from the doorway. She whipped her head in the direction, and her stomach sunk as she noticed her parents standing in the doorway. _

_Her mother was looking from the positive pregnancy test to Aria in disbelief, and her father was staring at her with such an intense look that she wanted to hide. She quickly shot to her feet, and her friends stood up next to her. Alison, noticing the intense way Byron was staring at Aria, placed herself slightly in front of Aria protectively. _

"_Aria Marie Montgomery, what have you done?!" Byron boomed, causing Aria to flinch. She had never seen her father so angry before then; she had never been scared of her own father before then. She protectively placed an arm around her stomach, but tears sprung to her eyes._

"_Aria… Please tell me that this is a mistake or some stupid joke or something. Please," Ella breathed out, her hand over her heart. Aria felt Hanna take her free hand and give it a supportive squeeze._

"_It-It's not a mistake or a joke or anything like that. I'm so sorry. I really am pregnant," Aria said in a voice that sounded braver than she felt right then. Hanna squeezed her hand again, and Emily placed her hand on her back in support. Spencer was inching up next to Alison in case Aria needed more protection. She didn't trust the way Byron was eyeing Aria or the death glares he was shooting at her stomach._

"_Well, not for long, you're not," Byron scoffed, and Aria froze._

"_W-What do you mean?" she asked slowly, already having an idea of what he was inferring. The thought made her want to throw up._

"_What do I mean?! I mean that we are going to take you to a clinic and have you fixed immediately!" Byron roared back. Aria felt fury build up in her body, and she took a step forward. Her friends moved with her, just in case._

"_I'm not broken, Dad, I'm pregnant. And, you are not going to do a damn thing to hurt my baby," Aria seethed, a protective side she had never felt before coming out of her. Her dad laughed humorlessly._

"_You are going to do what I say, and you are going to be happy about it! You live in my house, under my roof, and you will follow my rules. You are sixteen years old, and I will not allow you to tarnish this family's name by parading around town pregnant like some kind of whore! I am your parent, and you are my child, and you are going to do what I say!" Byron yelled back. Aria flinched again at his words, but she stood her ground. After all, she didn't just have herself to protect anymore._

"_Yes, you are my parent. But, guess what? I am this baby's parent, and I will not let you hurt it!" Aria snapped back, taking her hand from Hanna's and wrapping it around her stomach with her other one. A few tears leaked from her eyes, but she didn't dare remove one of her hands to wipe them away._

"_Like hell you won't," Byron said and started for her. He reached for her, but Spencer and Alison stood in the way, refusing to move. Emily and Hanna moved to stand next to them. None of the girls were going to let Byron hurt Aria or her baby._

"_Get out of the way, girls. This does not concern you," Byron said in a low voice, fire in his eyes. The girls didn't move, only stood taller._

"_You are not going to hurt Aria or her baby. I have 911 dialed on my phone, and all I have to do is press the call button for them to be here," Emily said in a threatening tone. Byron scoffed at her._

"_I do not have time for this. Get out of my way!" He roared at the girls, who still refused to move. Aria looked to her mom for help, but saw that she was no longer standing in the doorway. So much for her mother's unconditional love and support._

"_I don't want to do this, Mr. Montgomery, but I swear to God I will if I have to. I don't suppose the dean would be too forgiving with you if he were to find out that your students were earning their grades by having sex with their professor. They might even get the police involved. What was that you said about tarnishing your family's name? I wonder how much a student-teacher affair would tarnish your name," Alison spat out in a venomous voice, surprising even Aria with how fearless she sounded. Byron's eyes narrowed at the blonde._

"_You little bitch. You wouldn't dare," Byron seethed, stepping closer to Alison. Alison didn't back down an inch._

"_I don't think that's a risk you want to take," Alison spat back, staring him down. Byron stared at her for a moment, before backing away and punching the bathroom wall. Aria shrieked and hugged her stomach tighter. Byron swung back around and met Aria's eyes._

"_This is not over. Do you understand me? You are not going to have that baby!" Byron screamed before turning around and storming out of the room. A few seconds later, Aria heard the front door slam shut. Her friends retreated from their protective stance and pulled Aria in for a hug. It was then that Aria knew she had to get away from her father. She had to protect her baby._

That same night, Aria packed her essentials, got in her car, and drove to Noel's house. She knew she had to get away, and she was hoping that Noel would go with her. What she hadn't been counting on, however, was that Noel wouldn't be willing to help her. When she told him she was pregnant, he called her a whore and stated rather harshly that he wasn't willing to give up his life for "a baby that probably isn't even mine anyway." Aria had been heartbroken because she really loved Noel, but she managed to push her feelings aside and put her baby first. She hadn't heard from Noel since then, and, consequently, she knew that she would never allow him to be in her baby's life even if he changed his mind and wanted to be.

She left Noel's house defeated and heartbroken, and from there, she just drove. She didn't know where she was headed, but she was always worried that she wasn't far enough away from her father. She ignored the numerous calls and texts that came flooding in from her friends and parents through the next couple of days, worried that if she answered, her father would track her phone and find her or her friends would try and convince her to go back. She couldn't go back, not when her baby's life was at risk.

Aria arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, a few days later, and she was convinced that she was safe. She quickly found an apartment for rent, deciding that she needed to make a home for her and her baby. The apartment wasn't anything special, only two bedrooms and a bathroom, but it was all she needed. The landlord, an older woman named Rose who reminded Aria of Hanna's grandma, seemed to take pity on Aria and her situation and cut the price back. Rose also helped Aria by giving her a job as a waitress at an old 50's styled diner she owned and paying her much more than Aria suspected a part-time waitress earned. Aria saved everything she could, depositing her new money into her savings account her grandparents set up for her long ago, and hoping that the money would be enough to keep her and her baby alive and well.

Aria enrolled herself into the local high school, and she managed to completely get through her sophomore year before Scarlett Harper Montgomery was born in June. When school began again the following August, Rose baby-sat Scarlett, refusing for Aria to give up her education at a time when she needed it most. Rose quickly became a mother-figure for Aria, and Aria would always be grateful to her.

Aria had missed her friends who were more like sisters to her ever since she left Rosewood. She had only called home once and told Spencer to let the girls know that she was okay. She couldn't risk her father knowing where she was, so she refused to let Spencer know her location. There wasn't a day that passed by that Aria didn't miss her friends terribly. She constantly found herself wishing they could see her beautiful Scarlett, wishing they could see how smart and beautiful Scarlett was, and wishing they were there to dry her tears when she wanted nothing more than to give up.

In fact, as senior year was approaching, Aria's desire for her friends grew to desperate measures. She remembered all of the sleepovers they all had together when they would talk and dream about the epic senior year they would all have together. As Aria's memories grew stronger, she knew it was time to go home. Her father couldn't do anything to her now because she was a legal adult, and she certainly didn't plan on letting either of her parents close enough to Scarlett to hurt her. It was time for her to go home to Rosewood, the place her heart had longed for for two years.

Rose helped her pack up their things in under a week, and she let them go this morning with a hug and the promise that they would stay in touch.

After about ten more minutes of driving, Aria arrived at the Marin house. She smiled as the many moments she'd spent at the exact location with her friends flooded her memory. She just hoped that her friends would be willing to forgive her for leaving them. She turned the car off and unbuckled her seatbelt, turning around in her seat as she did so. She reached her arm back and gently began to shake Scarlett awake.

"Scarlett baby, wake up. We're home sweetie," Aria murmured, her smile broadening as she thought about the fact that she was finally back home in Rosewood. Although Nashville had been nice and a great place to raise Scarlett, it didn't hold a candle to Rosewood, where her heart would always remain. She was thrilled that Scarlett would be able to grow up in the same comfort that she herself grew up around.

Aria's smile softened as Scarlett's eyes opened slowly. Scarlett reached her small hands up and rubbed her eyes.

"Mommy, where are we?" Scarlett asked in her small, tired voice. Aria reached forward and brushed a strand of Scarlett's long curly hair out of her face.

"We're in Rosewood, baby. We're home," Aria replied softly, smiling when she saw Scarlett's eyes brighten at her response. "Momma is gonna come around and get you, okay? Then we'll head inside," Aria said. Scarlett nodded, and Aria proceeded to get out of the car and open Scarlett's car door. She unbuckled the petite toddler — her size was one of the many things she'd inherited from Aria - and scooped her up into her arms, swinging her around so she was balanced on her hip.

"There is someone very special who lives here that I can't wait for you to meet," Aria said with a nervous smile as she walked up the driveway and headed for the front door. She felt Scarlett lay her head down on her shoulder.

"Who is it, Mommy?" Scarlett spoke slowly, carefully pronouncing her words. She had always been well-spoken, and Aria liked to think that it was because of all of the books she had read to her.

"Your Godmother, Auntie Hanna. She is going to be so surprised to see you, baby," Aria said as she slowly approached the front door. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she hesitantly reached forward and knocked on the door with shaking hands. She was so scared, so worried that her friends were going to hate her for leaving them, and she honestly didn't know what she would do if that were to happen.

Aria tried to control her breathing as she heard footsteps on the other side of the door. A second later, the door opened, and Hanna stood before her. She was a bit taller and more glamorous than Aria remembered, but she was still her Hanna.

"Look kid, I already told you once. I don't want to buy a turtle from you. They're slimy and they're gross and they're most certainly not worth a hundred dollars," Hanna said in a bored tone, not bothering to look up from her iPhone screen to see who was standing in front of her.

"Well, I guess we'll just leave then," Aria said in an amused voice, smiling nervously as she watched Hanna's gaze snap up to meet her own.

"Aria…" Hanna breathed out, hardly able to believe that her long lost best friend was standing in front of her. A smile spread across her face. "Aria!" Hanna squealed this time and proceeded to pull Aria into a bone-crushing hug. A few tears of joy and relief leaked down Aria's cheeks as she hugged Hanna back and inhaled the familiar scent of cotton candy. After a few minutes, they girls pulled apart. Hanna was grinning like a kid on Christmas morning. Both wiped their tears away with their hands.

"What are you doing here? When did you get back? Are you staying? Have you told the others?" Hanna spewed out one question after another, making Aria smile. She expected these questions, and she was prepared to answer them.

"We just got here a few minutes ago, I haven't told the others, and we're definitely staying. We're home," Aria replied with a smile. "But, do you think we can come inside? I promise I'll fill you in on everything," she asked. Hanna nodded and stepped aside, allowing the girls to enter. Aria looked around as the door shut behind her. As far as she could see, nothing major had changed in the two years she'd been gone.

"Mommy, is this Auntie Hanna's house?" Scarlett asked in a small voice as her two-year-old eyes took in the unfamiliar sights around her. Aria grinned as she watched Hanna finally notice Scarlett. Tears filled Hanna's eyes, and she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"It sure is, baby. Scarlett, this is your godmother, Auntie Hanna. Hanna, meet Scarlett Harper Montgomery," Aria said with a large smile as Hanna's gaze shifted back to Aria for a second. Her eyes were wide and excited.

"Godmother?" Hanna asked, barely able to believe what she was hearing. Aria nodded.

"Well, you did call dibs," Aria joked back. Hanna stepped closer to Scarlett and smiled at her.

"I am so happy to meet you, Miss Scarlett. I can't wait to spoil you rotten with toys and clothes and sugar and anything else you might ever want," Hanna said with a big grin. Her grin widened as Scarlett held out her hands for Hanna to take her, which Hanna happily obliged to. Hanna quickly scooped Scarlett into her arms and spun her around, laughing as a giggle emitted from Scarlett.

"I'm glad you're my godmother, Auntie Hanna!" Scarlett squealed as Hanna spun her around once more. Hanna was so elated in that moment that she was have easily given Scarlett a million dollars if she'd asked for it. Aria knew she'd made the right decision in naming Hanna Scarlett's godmother.

After a few minutes, Hanna balanced Scarlett on her hip and smiled down at her. She already felt so connected to the little girl, even though she'd just met her.

"Scarlett, why don't you ask Auntie Hanna if she has anything you can eat? You were still asleep when lunchtime rolled around, so I bet that tummy is hungry," Aria suggested with a playful grin. Hanna smiled down at her god-daughter, who only then seemed to realize how hungry she actually was. Hanna giggled when she heard Scarlett's stomach growl. She began leading the two into the kitchen. She walked over to the refrigerator and let Scarlett look around, pointing out various food items.

"What do you think, Scarlett? Do you see anything that suits your fancy?" Hanna asked as she held Scarlett close. Aria wasn't sure she would ever get her daughter back from Hanna.

"Yes! Sketti!" Scarlett replied, her face lighting up when she saw the plastic container of left-over spaghetti. Hanna grinned at the little girl's excitement.

"Sketti it is, then!" Hanna declared as she took the plastic dish out of the refrigerator and shut the door. She then proceeded to set Scarlett down on the floor so she could get a bowl ready for her. Aria moved from her place in the doorway.

"I can do that for her, Han," she said as she reached for the bowl. Hanna pushed her hand away and shook her head.

"I'm sure you can, but it's Auntie Hanna's turn now," Hanna replied with a grin, making Aria roll her eyes playfully.

Ten minutes later, Scarlett was seated at the kitchen table with a bowl of spaghetti and a cup of apple juice in front of her, and Aria was seated next to her, helping her whenever she needed it. Hanna, who was seated right next to Aria, laid her phone down in front of her and looked at Aria.

"I just sent an SOS to the girls, so they should be here any minute," Hanna said with a small smile as she watched Aria take a napkin and wipe tomato sauce from Scarlett's cheek. She couldn't believe that Aria and her daughter were sitting right there with her when, just yesterday, she had been wondering what Aria was doing. She'd made up a world for Aria in her head after she left, picturing her running a small clothing boutique in New York with a beautiful little girl attached to her hip. Hanna knew it wasn't realistic, but she liked thinking that her best friend wasn't suffering, even if she missed her more than anything. But, now she and Scarlett were home, and Scarlett was even more amazing than she could have ever imagined. Hanna finally felt whole for the first time in two years.

"Are the girls mad at me… for leaving?" Aria asked in a quiet voice after a minute of silence, daring to steal a glance at Hanna. Hanna put on a sympathetic smile and took Aria's hand. Even though she herself felt a little upset with Aria for just leaving without saying goodbye, seeing her and Scarlett and knowing that they were both happy and healthy somehow made that anger disappear. She hoped the others would feel the same.

"None of us are happy that you just up and left without even a goodbye, but we all understand why you did what you did. We were all more worried than angry. It was scary knowing that you were 16 and pregnant and all by yourself out there, and it drove us all crazy knowing that we couldn't help you. We all knew you would come back one day… I'm really happy that you did," Hanna replied truthfully, squeezing Aria's hand in comfort. Aria gave Hanna a small smile and swallowed the lump of guilt in her throat. Even though she was excited to see her girls again and to introduce them to Scarlett, she was scared that maybe they were more angry than Hanna anticipated. What if they weren't as forgiving as Hanna was?

"How are they? I mean, what are you all up to now? Who are you dating?" Aria asked, wanting to know everything she could before the others arrived. She watched as Hanna shifted in a chair so she could see Aria more fully.

"Well, I was working at this nice clothing store just a few minutes from here, but I got let go last week. Apparently they don't like it when you hide clothes so the customers can't buy them before you get paid to buy them yourself. Whatever. I was so over that place anyway. I am dating a guy named Caleb Rivers. He moved to Rosewood shortly after you left, and I am really happy with him. Spencer has a summer job at the library, which is really boring and quiet, but it's so Spencer-like. She loves it. She started dating Toby Cavanaugh around the same time I got with Caleb. They're so good together, they're like practically married. And, Emily and Ali are actually together. That didn't happen until about a year ago. Em has been busy practicing her swimming and working as a lifeguard at the kid's pool, and Ali has been working at the Rosewood Animal Shelter since a couple months after you left. Everyone seems really happy, but we've all missed you," Hanna replied, and Aria was surprised at the information she was getting. She was really happy for her friends, and she couldn't wait to tell them so.

Aria didn't get the chance to respond, however, because she heard Hanna's front door open and footsteps echoing in the spacey house. Aria gulped and shakily pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Han? Where are you?" she heard Emily call out. The footsteps were getting closer, and Scarlett began tugging at Aria's shirt. Aria glanced at her and had to smile at the spaghetti sauce all over her mouth. She picked up a napkin and quickly wiped the sauce from Scarlett's face.

"I swear, Hanna. If your SOS is about shoes again, I will personally march up to your room and throw them all out your window," Alison declared as she got closer and closer to where Hanna, Aria, and Scarlett were seated in the kitchen. Aria quickly stood up and balanced Scarlett on her hip. She had been waiting on this moment for two years, and she was more than ready.

"And I will help her. Where are you, Hanna?" Spencer called out. A second later, the three girls appeared around the corner. Aria let out a smile. They all looked the same as they did when she left, they were just a bit more grown up now. It was Spencer who spotted her first.

"Aria? What… Is that really you?" Spencer was slowly approaching Aria, opening and closing her eyes a few times to ensure that she wasn't dreaming. Her eyes were wide and a bit wet with tears, but a smile was making its way across her face. Aria stole a glance at Emily and Alison, and smiled even more when she saw that they both wore expressions similar to Spencer's. She shifted Scarlett up a bit higher and let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.

"Surprise," Aria let out weakly, and was immediately smothered in Spencer's embrace. Aria hugged back as tightly as she could, letting a few tears slip from her eyes. She pulled away a few seconds later and repeated her actions with Emily and then with Alison. She felt so overwhelmed with happiness that she thought she might explode.

"So, are you home? For good?" Alison asked as the two separated from their hug. Aria began nodding her head as more tears fell from her eyes. She didn't make any move to wipe them away.

"We're home. For good," Aria responded, earning and excited squeal from Alison and big smiles from both Spencer and Emily. She looked from one friend to the other and so on, but she was interrupted by a small voice.

"Momma, why are you crying?" Scarlett asked, concern laced in her expression. Aria smiled at the little girl in her arms, feeling like she couldn't be any happier than she was in that moment. She leaned over and kissed Scarlett's nose.

"Momma's just really happy, baby. Everything's okay," Aria responded as she wiped away her tears to satisfy Scarlett. Scarlett seemed to accept the answer and turned her attention back to the three strange girls in front of her. Aria looked up and saw Spencer, Alison, and Emily all staring at Scarlett with big smiles and expressions of wonder. Like Hanna, they hadn't noticed Scarlett until she spoke.

"Guys, I want you to meet the most important little lady in my world, Scarlett Harper Montgomery. Scarlett, baby, this is your Auntie Spencer, Auntie Alison, and Auntie Emily," Aria said with a grin, pointing respectively as she introduced Scarlett to her three other aunties. Scarlett gave a small wave, and Alison let out a squeal. She walked closer to Scarlett and held out her hands. After a moment of hesitation, Scarlett let Alison pull her into her arms.

"I am so happy to meet you, Scarlett! You look so much like your momma," Alison said with a big smile as she stared at Scarlett. Scarlett grinned back and reached a small hand out and gently brushed it over Alison's face.

"You're really pwetty. Like 'Punzel!" Scarlett said in a happy voice, making Alison grin even more.

"Thank-you, sweetie. But, do you want to know a secret?" Alison asked. Scarlett nodded her head energetically, happy to be a part of something as important as a secret. Alison leaned closer to Scarlett and whispered, "You're prettier." At Alison's words, a face-eating smile took over Scarlett's face.

"Okay, okay. It's my turn now! Let me see this precious thing," Spencer said as she took Scarlett from Alison's arms and spun her around. A giggle erupted from Scarlett, making all of the girls giggle as well.

"I am very happy to meet you, Miss Scarlett! I can't wait to take you down to the library where I work. I can get you your very own library card and everything!" Spencer said in an excited voice. Scarlett's eyes widened at her Auntie Spencer's words, and she could barely contain her excitement as she squealed, "I love books!"

"Then you and I are going to get along perfectly, huh?" Spencer replied, reaching down and tickling Scarlett's tummy. Scarlett let out a belly-laugh, and Spencer swore she had never heard anything more perfect in her entire life.

"My turn, my turn!" Emily said excitedly, smiling and taking Scarlett into her own arms after Scarlett held out her arms to her. Emily balanced Scarlett on her hip and grinned broadly at her.

"You are so beautiful, Scarlett," Emily said in a voice of awe as she took in the little girl's appearance. Scarlett smiled at her Auntie Emily.

"You know, Auntie Spencer may be able to get you a library card where she works, but I can teach you how to swim where I work," Emily said in a knowing voice, watching as Scarlett's beautiful hazel eyes widened in excitement.

"I can swim like Ariel?" Scarlett asked, wonder dancing across her face. Emily grinned at the little girl and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. Clearly Scarlett had a thing for Disney princesses. She would have to remember that the next time she was around a toy store, which she figured would be soon because she knew that Scarlett already had her wrapped around her little finger.

"If it's okay with your mommy," Emily replied, shooting a smile at Aria. Aria was struggling to keep her tears at bay finally watching her best friends and her little girl together. She had dreamed about this moment so many times since Scarlett was born, but her dreams had been nothing in comparison to the real thing.

"Can I, Momma?" Scarlett asked in excitement. Aria giggled at her little girl, unsure if she had ever seen her so happy.

"We'll see, sweetie. We have to get settled in somewhere and get unpacked first," Aria replied, though she knew that she would have no problem letting Emily teach Scarlett how to swim. She trusted her best friends with her life, and, in doing so, she also trusted them with Scarlett's life. Spencer looked back at Aria then.

"Where are you guys staying?" Spencer asked curiously.

"Um, probably at a cheap hotel for tonight, and then tomorrow we will get out and find an apartment for us to live in and a day-care to get her enrolled in before school starts back again," Aria replied, letting out a breath. Hanna scoffed at Aria's reply.

"Okay, no. You and my precious God-daughter are not staying in some dinky hotel where bugs are just waiting for the opportunity to crawl in your hair and ruin it forever. You guys are going to stay here with me and my mom," Hanna replied, horrified at the idea of Aria and Scarlett staying at a hotel on their first night home. She wouldn't stand for something so awful. Aria began to shake her head in response, but Hanna spoke up again before Aria could say anything.

"You can shake your head all you want, but I am not taking no for an answer. My mom will be so thrilled to see you, and you guys can even stay the night too," Hanna said, focusing her attention on Alison, Emily, and Spencer, who were all happy with Hanna's idea. Spencer glanced at Aria, who still seemed unsure about the idea. She didn't want to make a burden of herself.

"Please, Aria. We haven't seen you in two years. We have loads to catch up on," Spencer pleaded, and Aria let out a small breath. She couldn't say no.

"Alright," Aria finally relented, making the other girls smile. Hanna let out a squeal and clapped her hands.

"Sleepover!" Hanna squealed, and Aria couldn't help but grin at her best friend. As she looked from Hanna to Spencer to Alison to Emily, who was still holding Scarlett and talking softly to her, she knew that coming home had been the right decision.

A few hours later, all six girls had changed into more comfortable clothes and were currently sprawled out in various places in Hanna's living room with Frozen playing on the screen in front of them. Aria had already seen the movie about a hundred times with Scarlett, but the other girls hadn't, and Scarlett just had to show her aunties the best movie on the planet.

"Mommy, I'm hungry," Scarlett said to Aria from her place on Hanna's lap. Aria diverted her attention from the movie and smiled at her little girl. She held out her arms, and Scarlett grinned and moved into them, allowing Aria to pull her onto her lap. Aria glanced at her phone and saw that it was almost six o'clock in the evening, which is usually when she'd start getting Scarlett's dinner ready.

"Ooh, let's order pizza!" Emily said from her place on the chaise lounge next to Alison. Aria smiled when she saw their hands intertwined. She had been a bit unsure originally when Hanna said that the two were together, but after seeing them together all afternoon, she knew that they were meant to be.

"Okay, I'll just order our usual. Aria, do you still like green olives with extra cheese?" Hanna asked as she began standing up to go find the number to the nearest pizza place. Aria nodded, and Hanna smiled and left the room. For the first time in two years, she would be ordering five different pizzas instead of four, and she was more than happy to shell out the extra money.

When Hanna left, Scarlett stood up out of her mother's lap and walked over to Spencer, who was lounged in her favorite big comfy chair of Hanna's. Spencer smiled when she saw the little girl approach, and she proceeded to help her up and into her lap. Scarlett sat back with her head against Spencer's chest, and Spencer began running her fingers through the little girl's long hair.

"What's your favorite pizza, Auntie Spencer?" Scarlett asked in a soft voice.

"Hmm, I like lots of cheese," Spencer replied. Hearing that, Scarlett sat up and stared at Spencer with excited eyes.

"That's my favorite too!" Scarlett squealed, making Spencer smile.

"Is it? Well, I guess that's just one more thing we have in common!" Spencer replied with an amused expression. Scarlett grinned and stared at Spencer for a minute before turning and resting her head back down on Spencer's chest. Spencer immediately started playing with Scarlett's hair again.

"I love you, Auntie Spencer," Scarlett said in a content voice, and Spencer felt tears prick the back of her eyes. She leaned forward and kissed the top of Scarlett's head. She couldn't believe that Scarlett was there, that Aria was there, and that she finally felt whole again. She couldn't believe how much she loved Aria's little girl already, and she believed it might be because she was just like Aria.

"I love you too, sweet girl. So, so much," Spencer replied with a smile, shooting a smile at Aria, too, who had been watching the entire exchange between her daughter and the other half of Team Sparia. Tears glistened in Aria's eyes, and she had to look up to keep them from falling. She felt happier in that moment than she had in two years.

An hour later, the girls were finishing their pizza and watching The Little Mermaid, which Scarlett insisted because "Auntie Emily is a mermaid too!" The pizza boxes were open and spread out on the coffee table with bottles of soda and some juice boxes for Scarlett. The girls were all in their same places as earlier, except now Scarlett was curled up between Emily and Alison. Aria felt herself begin to doze off, feeling the exhaustion of the day coming over her, but she was startled awake when she heard the front door open and then close followed by the clicking of high heels against the hardwood flooring.

"Hey girls, do you have room for one more? Work was brutal, and I am starving," Ms. Marin asked as she walked into the room, not noticing Aria or Scarlett. Instead of saying anything, Aria decided to wait until Ashley noticed them herself. She watched as Ashley walked over to the coffee table and grabbed a slice of Hanna's pepperoni pizza.

"Why did you girls order so many pizzas? You usually only order four. And, why are y'all watching The Little Mermaid?" Ms. Marin asked, recognizing the movie from when Hanna was a little girl.

"Because Auntie Emily is a mermaid too!" Scarlett replied in an excited voice from her place in-between Alison and Emily. Ashley spun around at the unfamiliar child's voice and smiled unsurely at her.

"Hanna, who is this?" Ashley asked in a curious voice, staring at the little girl who was now smiling at her. Something was familiar about her, but Ms. Marin was certain she had never met her before. Before Hanna could answer, Aria took a deep breath and answered herself.

"Her name is Scarlett. She's my daughter," Aria replied, a nervous smile on her lips as she watched Ms. Marin spin around and stare at Aria with a surprised expression on her face. She slowly walked closer to Aria, who stood up.

"Aria, honey? Is that really you? Oh my God. Where have you been? When did you get back?" Ms. Marin's reaction was similar to how Hanna's had been, but Aria smiled nonetheless. Before she could answer any of the questions, though, she was engulfed in a big hug by Ms. Marin. When Ms. Marin pulled back, she cupped Aria's face in her hands and stared at her with tears falling freely from her eyes. Aria had always felt like another daughter to her, much like the other girls, and she couldn't believe she was standing right in front of her again.

"Aria. Oh, sweetie, where have you been? Are you finally back home for good?" Ms. Marin asked softly, afraid that if she were to look away, Aria would be gone again. Aria reached up and wiped a few tears from her eyes. She had always been closer to Ms. Marin than she had been to her own mother.

"I promise I will answer all of your questions as soon as I get Scarlett to sleep, but yes. We are definitely home for good," Aria replied with a smile, and Ms. Marin understood Aria not wanting her little girl to hear what she was going to say. She hugged Aria again, so relieved that she was home.

"Okay, now introduce me to that sweet baby of yours," Ms. Marin said with a big smile as she released Aria. Aria smiled back and walked over to Scarlett and scooped her up into her arms. She balanced Scarlett on her hip and walked back over to where Ms. Marin was standing with a big smile on her face and tears in her eyes. Hanna paused the movie, and all the girls watched with happy smiles on their faces as Aria introduced Scarlett.

"This is Scarlett Harper Montgomery. Scarlett, this is your Grandma Ashley," Aria said with a smile. She figured Ms. Marin would be okay with her new title as Grandma Ashley, and, judging by the expression on her face, she was correct in that assumption. Scarlett looked at Aria then.

"She's my gwandma?" Scarlett asked in a happy voice, as she had wanted a grandma ever since Aria read her a story about a little girl and her grandma. Aria smiled at her little girl and hesitantly at Ms. Marin.

"She is, baby. If that's okay with you?" Aria questioned, diverting her words to Ms. Marin at the end. Ashley looked at Aria with excitement in her eyes.

"Of course it's okay. Come here, sweet baby," she replied as she held out her arms to Scarlett. Scarlett didn't waste any time letting her grandma pull her into her embrace and slinging her arms around her neck.

"I am so happy to finally meet you, Scarlett! I am so happy you and your mommy are home," Ms. Marin said to the little girl as she hugged her back. Scarlett pulled back then and grinned at Ms. Marin.

"I've always wanted a gwandma," Scarlett said in a sweet voice, and, in that moment, Ms. Marin swore she would melt. She was so in love with the beautiful little girl in her arms, and she was so proud to call herself her grandma, even if it wasn't by blood.

About an hour later, Aria walked back into the living room with the girls and Ms. Marin after putting Scarlett to bed in Hanna's bed upstairs. She hadn't put up much of a fight, and Aria suspected it was because she had had such a busy day. Aria smiled as she saw the girls and Ms. Marin all spread out on the carpet with pillows and blankets, waiting anxiously for Aria to tell them everything they'd missed while she had been gone. And, finally, Aria felt ready to answer their questions. She hurried over to them and took a seat between Spencer and Alison.

"Okay, before you all start asking a million questions, I am just going to tell you everything that happened. If you still have questions after that, I will be happy to answer them. Okay?" Aria asked, figuring that would be the easiest way to go about things. After receiving nods from everyone, she began.

She told them all about the night she left. She told them about Noel doubting that Scarlett was his and calling her a whore (and she had to put a hand on Hanna to keep her from going over to the Kahn house and giving Noel a piece of her mind). She told them about how she just drove until she felt far enough away to keep her baby safe. She told them about how she met Rose and how much Rose had given up to help take care of her and Scarlett. She told them about being in labor and Scarlett's birth, which had lasted exactly twenty-three hours and forty minutes, and how Rose hadn't left her side for a second. She told them all about Scarlett: about how her first word had been book, her favorite color yellow, and her favorite food peanut butter. She told them about her job at the diner and about how she had managed to continue to go to high school with Rose's help and about how much she'd hated her high school. She'd never felt like she belonged, and the kids there didn't take kindly to teenage moms.

She ended by telling the girls about her decision to come back to Rosewood. She told them that she'd had to wait until she had turned 18 so she would be an adult and her father couldn't do anything to her legally. She didn't forget to mention how much she'd longed for them and for Rosewood every day she'd been gone and how she'd cried herself to sleep many nights because all she wanted was to be home.

"Are you going to go see your parents?" Emily asked after Aria finished and the others had time to process everything she'd told them. Aria was quiet for a minute before she answered.

"I don't want to, but I will probably go over there sometime and let them know that I'm back and that I don't want anything to do with them. Scarlett isn't going to see them, though. I can't have them hurt her like they did me," Aria replied with a sad sigh. Of course she'd thought about her parents before she came back, but she knew that there was nothing they could do to her now that she was a legal adult.

"Your mom still works over at the high school, but she is a history teacher now. We all had to drop her class after she didn't do anything to protect you from your dad. She hasn't been the same since you left," Alison offered up in a sad voice. And, what she said was true. After Aria left, Ella wasn't the same spunky, happy woman she'd always been. She started showing up to school in less formal clothes, such as blue jeans, and she never smiled anymore.

"I guess I will have to make sure to go see her before school begins again so I won't just run into her there," Aria replied in a soft voice, feeling tears prick at the backs of her eyes. She wanted more than for things to be okay between her and her mom, but they just weren't anymore. She couldn't just forget about what her mom was going to let Byron do to her and her baby, and she hadn't felt like she could trust her mother in a long time.

"Where are you and Scarlett going to stay?" Ms. Marin asked Aria, trying to get off the subject of her parents, which was clearly a painful subject for her. Aria looked relieved at the change of subject and shot Ms. Marin a grateful look.

"Um, I am going to go find a small apartment for us tomorrow. I am also going to look around for a job so I will be able to afford said apartment," Aria replied with a small smile. She hoped she would be able to find a relatively small apartment for a decent price; she and Scarlett didn't need much. Ms. Marin looked thoughtful at Aria's response, and her eyes lit up when an idea occurred to her.

"What if you and Scarlett just stay here with Hanna and me? We have two guest rooms we can turn into rooms for the two of you, and you wouldn't have to worry about cramming to make rent that way," Ms. Marin suggested, worrying about Aria trying to work too hard and not having enough time for Scarlett and her schoolwork. Sure, she'd had to do so when she was living alone in Nashville, but she wasn't alone anymore.

"No, no. I don't want to make a burden of us. We will be fine," Aria replied quickly. She didn't want her friends or Ms. Marin to get annoyed with her. Hanna spoke up before Aria could say anything else.

"Come on, Ar. It will be so much fun! It will be like sleepover every night, and Auntie Hanna needs her Scarlett," Hanna said with a pleading look in her eyes. She felt thankful that she had such a giving mom. Aria shook her head again.

"Auntie Hanna will be able to see her Scarlett any time she wants, but I can't burden you guys like that. Me and Scarlett will make things work," Aria replied. She began to think about how much easier things would be if she did accept Ms. Marin's offer, but she quickly shook that thought out of her head. She didn't want to be a burden.

"Sweetie, you two will not be a burden to us. And, I will not take no for an answer. You two are going to stay with us, and that's final," Ms. Marin replied sternly, but she had a smile across her face. Aria sighed and nodded her head a little bit. She didn't want to admit it, but staying with the Marins would be such a relief to her.

"Thank-you, Ms. Marin. I really appreciate everything," Aria said sincerely, earning a smile and a wink from Ashley. Aria couldn't wait to tell Scarlett that they would be living with her Auntie Hanna and Grandma Ashley; Scarlett would be so excited.

"Are you going to see Noel at all?" Spencer asked after a few minutes of silence. Aria frowned a little as she thought about Noel and all the pain he put her through. She vowed a long time ago to never let him inflict pain on Scarlett as he had done to her.

"Rosewood is a small town, so I'm sure I'll run into him at some point. But, he won't have anything to do with Scarlett," Aria replied in an almost angry voice. She couldn't help it; she felt nothing but anger when she thought about Noel. She hated the fact that he'd had everything easy after she left when she'd had everything so difficult.

"I think that's smart. I never really liked him before, but he's been especially intolerable since you left. He became one of those hump and dump guys," Hanna replied. Aria was surprised by the news she was receiving, but she was also not surprised. She would have been surprised if Hanna had been talking about the old Noel she had dated for two years and fallen in love with, but the Noel Hanna was talking about was the one that completely abandoned Aria and his child. Aria saw his true colors when he called her a whore after she told him she was pregnant, and, consequently, everything Hanna was saying about him seemed completely plausible.

"Did… Did he ever ask about me after I left?" Aria asked hesitantly, unsure if she actually wanted to know the answer or not. Aria watched as Emily and Alison exchanged a look. Neither of them looked like they wanted to share what was on their minds. "What? Just tell me," Aria pleaded after nobody answered. Alison sighed and spoke up.

"He came to my house about a week after you left and refused to leave until I told him where you were. Of course, I didn't know where you were, so I had to get my dad to make him leave. The next day at school, he told everybody…" Alison trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence. After receiving a look from Aria, she sighed and continued. "He told everybody that he caught you having sex with an older man and that you ran away because you were too embarrassed that the older man had gotten you pregnant," Alison finished in a quiet voice. Aria felt her stomach clench.

"Of course, we did everything we could to steer people straight. We didn't let him completely tarnish your name," Emily piped up, trying to make Aria feel better. Aria smiled weakly at that news, grateful that she had such great friends even when she wasn't there with them. One thing was for sure, Aria was definitely not looking forward to running into Noel again. Just the thought made her head hurt. She would be sure to never let him around Scarlett.

The girls talked for about an hour longer before they unanimously decided that they needed sleep. Alison, Emily, and Spencer all crashed on the couches in the living room, while Aria and Hanna went upstairs to Hanna's room so Scarlett wouldn't wake up all alone. After getting situated on either side of Scarlett, Hanna turned off her lamp and stared at the dark ceiling. So much had happened in that one day, and she was certain it was one she would never forget. She was so thankful that God finally brought Aria and Scarlett back to her.

"Aria?" Hanna asked softly, careful not to wake Scarlett. She looked over and saw that Aria was looking right at her.

"Yeah, Han?" Aria asked, a small yawn escaping from her lips. Hanna smiled.

"I'm really happy you're back. I'm going to be the best Godmother I can be to Scarlett," Hanna replied. She saw Aria smile at her again before she closed her eyes and snuggled down.

"I know you will, Hanna. That's why I picked you. And, I'm glad I'm back too," Aria replied truthfully. A few minutes later, she heard Hanna's soft snores, and she left sleep take her over too. For the first time in two years, she slept peacefully because she was finally home.


	2. And She'd Only Just Met Him

Written in the Stars

Chapter 2: And She'd Only Just Met Him

The next morning, Aria awoke to Scarlett shaking her. She smiled a little and sat up, scooping Scarlett into her arms as she did so. She looked around and noticed that she wasn't back in her apartment in Nashville, but in Hanna's room in Rosewood. She grinned with the knowledge that she was home.

"What did you do with your Auntie Hanna?" Aria asked the head of unruly curls that was her daughter. Aria took a ponytail off of her wrist and gathered Scarlett's hair into a messy bun so that it would stay out of her face.

"She's making bweakfast, Mommy! She said to wake you up," Scarlett replied with a big smile as she jumped up and down in Aria's lap excitedly. Evidently, the little girl was as excited as Aria was to finally be home, even though Nashville had been the only home Scarlett had ever known.

Aria grinned at Scarlett and kissed her cheek. "Then, I guess we'd better get down there!" Aria exclaimed as she proceeded to stand up and balance Scarlett on her hip, and she began the walk out of Hanna's room to downstairs.

When she reached the kitchen, she set Scarlett down on the ground and smiled at a very confused looking Hanna, who was holding a box of pancake mix trying to understand the directions. Aria giggled and walked over to her. Hanna looked at her friend with a relieved expression when she saw she was awake.

"Thank God you're awake. Can you figure this out?" Hanna asked as she practically shoved the box of pancake mix at Aria. Aria looked at her skeptically after she read over the fairly simple directions.

"They're pancakes, Han, not chemical equations," Aria said as she began looking around for a mixing bowl and a skillet. Hanna shot her a dirty look and took a seat at the barstool, letting Aria take over the difficult task that was breakfast.

"Where are the girls?" Aria asked as she began to measure out pancake mix and water, dumping both into the mixing bowl in front of her. Hanna watched with an amazed expression as Aria whisked the ingredients together with no struggle. It was probably a mom thing, Hanna decided.

"Em had to be at work early, Ali had some kind of dentist appointment or something but she said she'd be back later, and Spence went out to get coffee for us and chocolate milk for Scarlett. Oh, and my mom went to work, but she is going to come home early to take us shopping for stuff for your's and Scarlett's rooms," Hanna replied. Aria nodded and continued to mix the ingredients together. A second later, she spooned some out onto the skillet, and Hanna watched in amazement as the batter turned into perfectly rounded pancakes.

"She seriously doesn't have to do all that for us," Aria said in an appreciative tone. Hanna took her attention away from the pancakes and smiled at Aria. She was so happy that Aria and little Scarlett were going to live with her.

"I know, but she wants to. She's so excited about spoiling her first grandbaby," Hanna said, mocking her mother at the end with a giggle. Aria let out a giggle too, happy that she and Scarlett made Ms. Marin so happy.

"And, what do you have planned for today?" Aria inquired as she remembered that Hanna no longer had a job.

"Hanging out with my long lost best friend and my perfect god-daughter, obviously! And, Caleb is coming over too, so you will finally be able to meet him. He should actually be here pretty soon," Hanna replied with a smile as she checked the time on her phone. 8:30.

"Well, I'm looking forward to meeting him. Does he know anything about me and Scarlett?" Aria asked curiously as she flipped a pancake on the skillet in front of her. She was genuinely looking forward to meeting Caleb, happy that Hanna had found someone to make her so happy.

"Yeah, he knows pretty much everything, and he's really understanding of your decisions and the situation you were put in with your parents. I told him that you were back when I talked to him on the phone a while ago, and he seems excited to meet you," Hanna replied with a smile. Aria nodded and turned her attention back to the pancakes.

"Hey, do you think you can watch Scarlett for me later?" Aria asked as she poured the remaining batter onto the skillet. Hanna's eyes brightened in excitement at Aria's question.

"I would be happy to! Where are you going?" Hanna replied, excited at the idea of spending quality time with her favorite god-daughter.

"I'm going to head out to this bookstore I saw while I was driving yesterday. They had a help wanted sign, and I was thinking that a job at a bookstore would be perfect for me. I'll also probably go ahead and tell my parents that I'm back. I might as well get that over with before they see me around town with Scarlett and think that it's okay to approach us," Aria replied as she finally finished with the pancakes. She passed the full plate over to Hanna, who took it over to the kitchen table and set it down in the middle. Aria proceeded to get out butter and syrup and peanut butter (Scarlett's favorite topping). She carried them over to the table.

"Scarlett, come eat!" Aria called out and smiled as she watched Scarlett toddle into the room, her messy bun bouncing as she hurried over to her mother. Hanna's mom had gotten Hanna's old high chair out of the attic before she left for work, knowing that Scarlett would need it. Rose was going to ship the rest of their stuff to her, and Scarlett's high chair was part of that stuff. Aria helped Scarlett into the seat as Hanna got plates and silverware for them to eat with.

"Auntie Spence is back and she brought coffee!" Aria heard Spencer call out a minute later, followed by the door closing and footsteps. Aria furrowed her eyebrows when she heard more than just Spencer's footsteps headed in their direction.

"Thanks for including me in that Auntie Spence," Aria heard an unfamiliar male voice saying in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, Caleb's here too," Spencer replied in a bored tone as the two entered the kitchen. Hanna squealed and rushed over to Caleb, kissing him happily.

"Ew!" Scarlett squealed in a high pitch voice, scrunching her nose as she watched her Auntie Hanna kiss some guy she had never met before. Aria and Spencer laughed at Scarlett's reaction, and Hanna and Caleb pulled apart with amused expressions on their faces at the little girl's reaction. Hanna took Caleb's hand and led him over to where Aria was standing.

"Caleb, I am so happy to finally introduce you to my other best friend, Aria Montgomery. Aria, this is Caleb," Hanna introduced the two with a big grin across her face. Caleb smiled reassuringly at Aria and shook her hand.

"It's very nice to meet you. I'm happy you decided to come home," Caleb said to the five-foot-two girl in front of him. Aria smiled and shook his hand back.

"It's very nice to meet you too. Hanna has told me a lot about you," Aria replied, releasing his hand. Caleb then turned his attention to the curious-eyed toddler sitting in the high chair in front of him who had been watching their introduction like a ping pong match. He put on a playful expression.

"And, who is this little princess?" he asked, making Scarlett giggle.

"I'm Scarlett Harper Montgomery. Who are you?" Scarlett asked, tilting her head to the side. Caleb smiled at how adorable the little girl was. Hanna hadn't been exaggerating when she told him about her on the phone earlier.

"It's nice to meet you, Scarlett. My name is Caleb," Caleb replied amusingly. Scarlett tilted her head to the side again, looking from Caleb to Hanna and then back to Caleb.

"Are you my uncle?" Scarlett asked, wanting to be sure she got everything right. Caleb looked over at Aria unsurely, and she nodded at him with a smile.

"If you want me to be, I am," Caleb replied to the little girl. Scarlett began grinning at him.

"Okay, Uncle Caleb," Scarlett replied, and that was the end of that. She turned her attention back to Aria then and asked, "We eat now?" Aria and the others laughed at how easy Scarlett made things.

"Sure, baby. Momma will fix you a plate," Aria replied with a laugh as she began to fix Scarlett's pancakes with peanut butter and syrup. Spencer passed out the coffee and handed Scarlett her bottle of chocolate milk last. When she did, Scarlett looked at her with wide eyes.

"How did you know this was my favorite?" Scarlett asked, amazement flooding her eyes. Spencer had to hold back a laugh at Scarlett's reaction. Instead, she winked at her.

"Auntie Spence just knows things like that," Spencer replied, chuckling at the amazement and wonder across Scarlett's face.

Two hours later, everyone had finished breakfast, and Spencer and Caleb helped Aria get her suitcases from the day before out of her car while Hanna watched Brave with Scarlett. After thanking them, Aria paused the movie and got herself and Scarlett dressed for the day. A few minutes later, Aria carried Scarlett back downstairs and set her down, watching as she made a bee-line back to her Auntie Hanna's lap to watch her movie.

Aria dressed Scarlett in black leggings and her favorite aqua blue t-shirt that said "Kiss the Girl" with a silhouette of Ariel and Eric from _The Little Mermaid_ on it. Her hair was pulled back and secured with a big white bow to match the lettering on her t-shirt. Aria was wearing simple blue jean shorts with a flowy pink floral tank-top, which Rose had given to her last year for her birthday, and black sandals. Her hair was down in its natural waves, and she had on light make-up. She still sometimes dressed in the wild colors and patterns that old Aria used to dress in, but she'd learned to dress more comfy and casual after having Scarlett.

Aria followed Scarlett into the living room and smiled when she saw her already lounged across Hanna's lap, her eyes transfixed to the screen. Caleb was sitting next to them, and Spencer was back in her favorite comfy chair. Aria squatted down next to Scarlett and got her attention.

"Sweetie, Mommy's going to go out for a little while. I want you to be good for Auntie Hanna, Auntie Spence, and Uncle Caleb, okay?" Aria asked gently. Scarlett nodded and said "Okay, Mommy," in response. Aria smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, sweet girl," Aria said, and Scarlett smiled back at her.

"I love you too, Momma," Scarlett replied, then turned her attention back to the movie. Aria stood up and looked at Hanna.

"I will have my phone if you need anything. If I'm not back by 1:00, that's when she usually eats lunch. She eats pretty much anything, but she is allergic to shellfish, so don't give her that. She takes her nap right after lunch. I should be home for anything beyond that," Aria let out in a rushed voice. It wasn't that she didn't trust her friends to take care of Scarlett; of course she did. She had just never left Scarlett with anyone besides Rose since she'd been born. Hanna put a hand on Aria's arm and smiled at her reassuringly.

"Aria, breathe. Everything is going to go fine. We all love Scarlett, and we are going to take good care of her," Hanna said in a calm voice, trying to make her friend relax. After a few seconds, Aria nodded and swung her purse onto her shoulder.

"Alright. I'll be back soon. Call me if you need anything," Aria said. After receiving another reassuring nod from Hanna and an identical one from Spencer, Aria turned and left. As she got into her car, she quickly decided that she would go see her parents first.

"Might as well get it over with," she muttered to herself as she started her car and backed out of the driveway. The whole way over to her parents' house, Aria's stomach clenched nervously. This would be the first time she would see or speak to her parents since her father threatened to make her have an abortion and her mother stood by and let it happen. Anger filled Aria as she thought back to how betrayed they'd made her feel. She knew that she would never make Scarlett feel that way.

After a few more minutes, Aria finally arrived at her parents' house, the same house she grew up in and used to think of as safe. So many memories filled this place, and, although most of the memories were good ones, her one worst memory overshadowed those and made her want to drive far, far away.

Aria parked her car and took a deep breath. She slowly opened her car door and stepped out, slamming it shut behind her. As she made her way to the front door, she noticed that both of her parents had the same cars they'd had when she left, and that both of the cars were home.

Aria reached the front door and hurried to knock on it. Whereas she'd been hesitant before, she was now ready to get this over with and get back to her sweet little girl. She listened as footsteps approached, and finally the door swung open and her mother appeared. Aria noticed that the girls had been right; Ella looked like she'd aged more than two years, and she had bags under her eyes. Aria almost felt sorry for her until she remembered how she was just going to let her father kill her baby. Coldness settled in Aria's eyes.

"Aria! Oh my God! Honey!" Ella let out as tears filled her eyes and surprise etched itself into her features. She moved to wrap her arms around her daughter, but Aria stepped back before she could. Confusion filled Ella's expression.

"I'm not here to hug or play nice or anything like that. I'm only here because I have to be. Is Dad here? I need to talk to the two of you," Aria said in a cold voice, hating the way hurt filled her mother's eyes but knowing it was necessary. She simply couldn't have a relationship with the two people who were going to make her give up the best thing that had ever happened to her, and she certainly couldn't let Scarlett have a relationship with them either.

"H-He is. Why don't you come in, and I will go get him?" Ella replied unsurely as she stepped back to allow Aria to come inside. Aria nodded curtly and walked inside the place that used to feel like home to her. Now, it just made her feel dirty.

"Oh, Aria. I'm so glad you've come home. We've missed you so much," Ella said in an emotional voice. Aria sighed and looked at her mother.

"Can you just go get Dad, please?" she asked bluntly, not wanting to hear her mother go on and on about how much she'd missed her, when she'd been half of what pushed her away.

Ella looked hurt as she quietly said, "Of course," and headed off to find Byron. Aria let out a breath as she watched her mother walk away, and she slowly began to look around. Everything looked the same as it had almost three years ago, but it didn't feel the same. Aria slowly walked around the corner and into the living room. She remembered family game nights around the coffee table and she and Noel snuggling on the very couch that sat in front of her as he promised that he would love her forever. Aria scoffed. Forever was a lot shorter than she'd always anticipated.

Aria was interrupted from her reverie when she heard her father's voice choke out her name behind her. She quickly turned and looked at him. He hadn't aged well either, and Aria hoped he'd had many sleepless nights regretting how he'd treated her, his daughter who he was supposed to love and support unconditionally.

"Aria. My Aria, you've come home," Byron choked out, and, like Ella, he also tried to hug her. Aria stepped back again and put on a steel expression.

"Like I told Mom, I am not here to make nice. I am only here to talk to you, so please sit down so I can get this done quickly," Aria said in a hard voice as she moved to sit down on the couch behind her. She watched as her parents exchanged hurt glances and sat down on the couch across from her. Aria could see the yearning in their eyes to just hold her, but she couldn't help but think that they should have done that two years ago when she needed their love and support most.

"Aria, where have you been? Why did you leave?" Ella asked after a moment of silence passed by. Aria stared at her with a look of disbelief written clearly across her face.

"Are you kidding me? Why did I leave? I left because Dad was going to make me have an abortion, and you were just going to stand by and let him, which is just as bad. I left because I had to protect my baby," Aria replied in an angry voice, willing the tears that pricked at the backs of her eyes to go away. She didn't want them to see her cry.

"Aria…" Byron started, but Aria cut him off quickly. She was uninterested in whatever he had to say.

"I really don't want to hear it, Dad. I am only here today to let you know that my daughter and I have moved back to Rosewood. I expect you both to leave us alone," Aria said in a determined voice. She watched as shock and surprise filled both of her parents' expressions. She wanted to roll her eyes. Surely they weren't surprised she wasn't going to let them into Scarlett's life or her own.

"You kept the baby?" Byron asked at the same time Ella said, "You can't be serious, Aria." Aria did roll her eyes this time, at both her father's shock and her mother's stupidity.

"I am serious. And, of course I kept my baby. I am very proud to call myself her mother," Aria replied, softening just a little at the thought of her Scarlett. She would do anything in the world for that little girl.

"Are we going to be able to meet her?" Ella asked hesitantly, hope now filling her eyes. Aria frowned at her mother.

"No, you are not going to be able to meet her. I want both of you to stay far, far away from her," Aria replied in a serious voice. She hated the thought of her parents disappointing her precious Scarlett the same way they'd disappointed her.

"She's our grandchild, Aria. We have a right to meet her," Byron stated plainly, making Aria fume.

"Okay, first of all, she is not your grandchild. She is my daughter, but she will never be your grandchild. Second of all, are you kidding me? You have no rights! You lost all rights when you tried to make me kill her two years ago! Or, have you conveniently forgotten about that?" Aria yelled, standing up as she finished. She felt sick at the thought of what her parents were going to make her do if she'd stayed with them after she found out she was pregnant. She wanted to cry at the idea of never having Scarlett in her life.

"It was stupid of me to come here, but I didn't want you to see us around town and think that it was okay to come up to us. It's not okay, and, as far as I'm concerned, this is the last time I will be speaking to either of you. If you see us around town, I want you to pretend that you don't know us. I want you to walk the other way. You will not have a damn thing to do with my little girl, period. End of story," Aria said heatedly as she fixed her purse onto her shoulder. Byron and Ella stood then, tears blurring both visions.

"I know you don't care what I have to say, but I am truly sorry about what I did. I didn't mean to hurt you… I-I just wanted what was best for you," Byron said in a broken voice, stepping closer to Aria. Aria had to push back her tears and fight to keep a cold expression in her eyes.

"You're right, I don't care what you have to say," Aria replied, trying to keep her voice cold and emotionless. Ella stepped forward too, reaching her arm out to take Aria's, but then remembering Aria's request and dropping it.

"I love you, Aria. I always have, and I always will. Please, never forget that," Ella said, tears rolling down her cheeks. Aria closed her eyes and nodded her head. It was getting harder and harder for her to keep her tears away.

"I have to go now," Aria said in a quiet voice, and then she turned and headed back for the front door, ready to leave and never come back.

"Aria," her mother called out, and Aria stopped walking but didn't turn around. Ella took a deep breath and asked the one question she'd wanted answered after she'd learned that Aria kept her daughter.

"What is her name?" Ella asked hesitantly. Aria let out a breath and wiped away a few tears that had managed to escape.

"Scarlett. Scarlett Harper Montgomery," Aria answered, then hurried out the front door and to her car. Once she was in, she sped out of the driveway and down the street. After she was far enough away that her parents couldn't see her, she pulled over and let out the tears that had been building up inside of her ever since she'd first arrived.

She cried for herself and for the fact that her parents were no longer going to be part of her life, and she cried for Scarlett, who was so innocent but who was still going to be punished, even if she didn't know it. She even cried for her parents, who she knew wanted more than anything to be able to take back what they'd done. She couldn't let it go, though. It was too much to just let go.

After another few minutes passed, Aria managed to pull herself together and stop her tears. She pulled down her driver's side mirror and wiped her smeared make-up away with a Kleenex from the packet she always kept in her purse in case Scarlett needed it. After she wiped away the make-up, she took out her make-up bag and re-applied it.

Satisfied with her new appearance, Aria put her make-up bag back away, folded the mirror back up to where it was supposed to be, and started driving again. She was thankful Scarlett hadn't been there to witness her crying, and she was thankful that Scarlett didn't know enough pain to make her cry like Aria had been. She never wanted her baby girl to feel so broken.

Aria drove to the bookstore slowly. She rolled her windows down and took her time admiring the busy streets and homey atmosphere of Rosewood and inhaling the familiar scent of freshly baked bread and blooming flowers. Where she lived in Nashville had always been busy and loud, and she always felt cold there, not because of the temperature but because it simply wasn't her home. Aria had felt warm again ever since she passed the Welcome to Rosewood sign, and now, taking in the familiar sights and sounds, her heart knew it was home.

She arrived at an older-looking building with light blue trim around its edges just a few minutes later. The bookstore, called Books and Crannies, was smaller, but it had a wrap-around porch filled with comfortable looking porch swings and big chairs for people to sit in and read their new treasures. Aria couldn't help but smile as she got out of her car and headed inside. The inside smelled of a mix of vanilla and that scent only books hold. Aria knew that, even if she didn't land the job, she would become a frequent visitor. Scarlett would love it too.

Noticing that there were about six people ahead of her to buy books from what seemed like the only person working, Aria decided to walk around and wait for the older lady at the counter to finish. She meandered around, looking in the children's section first. Most of Scarlett's books were still in Nashville with Rose waiting to be shipped to them, so Aria decided that she might as well buy her a few to hold her over. She smiled when she came across an old copy of _The Rainbow Fish_. Although she had spent countless hours reading hundreds of different books to Scarlett, _The Rainbow Fish_ was one that would be new to Scarlett. She held it in her arms and continued looking.

After picking out five more books she knew Scarlett had never read and would love, Aria left the children's section and walked over to the adult section. She found herself lost in a world of classics, many of which she had been meaning to read but never did and some of which she'd read so many times she could recite them word for word. She picked up _Wuthering Heights_ and added it to the stack of books she was buying for Scarlett. _Wuthering Heights_ was one she had bought and was going to read right before she left a little over three years ago. She could finally read it now.

Next, she picked up a copy of_ The Scarlet Letter_. It had always been her favorite book. She admired Hester Prynne, and she hated how the townspeople had ostracized her. Being one who typically went against the societal norm, Aria knew what it was like to feel like she didn't belong, and she saw herself in Hester Prynne. She had named Scarlett after the book because she wanted her daughter to carry Hester's strength and dignity, even when she was completely unlike everyone else.

Balancing her stack of books in one arm, Aria began to flip through the copy of the book. She had many copies of the book back in Nashville with her other books and Scarlett's books, but she didn't have any that looked like this one. This one was covered in red fabric, and the title and author's name were stitched into the front in gold thread. She was admiring the beautiful qualities of this book when a voice beside her startled her.

"Have you read that one before?" the voice asked. Aria jumped a little at the sudden noise and looked up at the owner of the voice. She would be lying if she said he wasn't attractive. He wore a red t-shirt and faded blue jeans, and his hair looked soft and everywhere, almost like he hadn't tried very hard. He had a hint of a smile on his face, and Aria saw an endearing quality floating around in his ocean colored eyes. Aria felt as though she could trust him, and she didn't even know his name yet.

"Um, yeah. It's actually my favorite book," Aria replied with a tentative smile as she glanced down at the book in her hands again. She looked back up and smiled at the impressed look on the man's face. He took a step closer to her, and Aria noticed that he smelled like spearmint.

"Really?" he asked, and Aria nodded back at him. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "What did you think about the author trying to evoke sympathy for Hester Prynne's character? I personally had a hard time feeling any sort of sympathy for her," he asked, and Aria raised an eyebrow at him. She had never heard that point of view before, mostly because none of her other friends had taken the time to read the book and form an opinion on it.

"I think that the author was right in evoking sympathy for her. He was trying to contrast her flaws with the rest of the town's seeming perfection, and, in doing so, he proved that nobody is perfect and that one's flaws make up the person," Aria replied, shifting so that she could see the man more fully and stand more comfortably. She was intrigued by him, and she wanted to know more.

"That's an interesting approach. I've just always had a hard time feeling sorry for her. I mean, she brought the scrutiny upon herself," he replied. Aria raised her eyebrows at him.

"She followed her passions, and while she may not have gone about it in the right way, her passion is admirable and courageous. And, frankly, what she did was none of the townspeople's business anyway. And, even when they were scrutinizing her, she held her head high and made a life for her and her daughter. She always put Pearl first, even when it was hard for her," Aria replied, and the man smiled as he watched her talk. Her eyes held so much passion, and her cheeks were flushed from the fact that she believed in everything she was saying so strongly. Aria felt desperate to defend Hester Prynne. After all, she and Hester were a lot alike.

"I suppose you're right in some respects. Maybe I will have to go back and read it with a fresh viewpoint," he replied. Aria smiled, happy to have made her point, and grabbed another copy of _The Scarlet Letter_ off of the shelf in front of her. She handed it to him, gasping lightly when their fingers touched and she felt a spark of electricity shoot through her. Never had that happened before, not even with Noel.

"Buy a new copy. It will hold a different story than the copy you already have," Aria said to him with a smile. He smirked playfully and added the book to the small stack he was already carrying.

"This is a used bookstore, so I'm not sure how new this will be," he said, causing Aria to give him a look.

"It will be new to you," she replied pointedly, smiling again when he smiled at her. She couldn't help but feel comfortable with this man; she felt like she'd known him forever. She felt like she could tell him anything, and she'd only ever felt that way with her best friends, Scarlett, and Rose. Not even Noel had made her feel that way.

"What is your name, by the way?" Aria asked the man as she stared into his very blue eyes. His smile reached them and made them shine more brilliantly, Aria noticed. She felt like a whole world lived in his eyes, and she wanted to be a part of that world.

"Ezra Fitz. You?" he replied. Aria smiled.

"Aria Montgomery," she said.

"It's very nice to meet you, Aria," Ezra said with an honest grin. Aria felt a warmth settle over her hearing her name come out in his voice. It sounded safe trapped there. He held out his hand for her to shake, and she quickly shook it, feeling the surge of electricity once again. She wondered if he could feel it too.

Aria turned her head and saw that the check-out line was now free of people, and she motioned for Ezra to follow her up there. He fell into step beside her.

"Do you always stop women in old bookstores to ask their opinions on an author's intent, Mr. Fitz?" Aria asked with a playful tone as the two reached the counter. He stepped behind her so she could check-out first.

"Only the beautiful ones," Ezra replied just as the old woman walked behind the counter. Aria looked down to conceal her blush. She really, really liked this guy.

"Oh, my granddaughter just loves this book!" the old woman said with a sweet smile as she scanned the barcode on _The Rainbow Fish_. Aria smiled, remembering her mother reading the same book to her when she was around Scarlett's age. She frowned then, remembering that she would never have a close relationship with her mother again. She forced a smile again, though, so as not to alarm the woman.

"It was one that I loved as a little girl, and I just had to buy it to read to my daughter," Aria replied, her smile becoming more genuine as thoughts of Scarlett filled her mind.

"How sweet. How old is your daughter?" the old woman asked as she began placing Aria's books into a plastic bag.

"She's two. She is definitely a mess, though," Aria replied with a grin, handing over her debit card to pay for her purchases. She took the bag and hung it on her arm. After a few seconds, the woman handed the debit card back to Aria.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" she asked with a smile. The crinkles around her eyes made Aria think of Rose.

"Actually, yes. I noticed that you have a Help Wanted sign hanging up in your window, and I am interested in the job," Aria replied with a hopeful smile. The older woman's eyes brightened at Aria's words.

"Oh, that's wonderful dear! We desperately need new bodies here. I just have an application I will need you to fill out, and I will give you a call within the next few days," the woman replied as she rustled around for the application in a drawer. A second later, she placed it in front of Aria with a pen. Aria took the paper and pen and moved further down the counter so she wouldn't be holding Ezra up.

She was done filling everything out before Ezra was done checking out, so she carefully slid the paper back to the old lady and went outside with her new books. She glanced around once she got outside and smiled blissfully at the end of July heat. In Rosewood, it was never too hot or too cold; it was always perfect. Aria took a seat on the swinging bench next to the door and slowly began swinging back and forth. She couldn't wait to bring Scarlett back with her one day. The two could buy some new books, go get ice cream, and come back to the swing for a while. Aria smiled at that thought; nothing sounded more perfect.

"So, you have a daughter?" Ezra's question brought Aria out of her blissful trance. The smile melted from her face and she took in Ezra's confused expression. She sighed a little bit and bit her lip. She should have told him about Scarlett while they were talking inside.

"Her name is Scarlett. She's two," Aria replied slowly. She watched as Ezra's expression turned from one of confusion to one of light shock. Aria sighed again and looked down at her shoes.

"It's okay, Ezra. I understand more than most people how much a child can change a person's life. If you don't want to be a part of that, you can go. I'm not blaming you," Aria said as she continued to look downward. She knew it wouldn't be fair to ask Ezra to be a part of her life if he wasn't ready for so much commitment yet. He had a choice, and it was completely up to him. She couldn't blame him for not wanting to grow up and accept so much responsibility so quickly; she hadn't wanted to grow up at first either. Scarlett had helped her with that.

Silence settled in the air between the two for a couple of minutes, and Aria was certain he was going to leave. It had happened before with other guys in Nashville; she was used to it. That is, until she felt the swing she was sitting on start to move. She looked up and saw Ezra sitting down next to her with a hesitant smile on his face. He looked like he was trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say, so Aria stayed silent and waited.

"A child… is a lot of responsibility. But, I'm not going to lie to you, Aria. I've never had such an instant connection with someone like I do with you. I've only just met you, and I feel like I can tell you anything. That's new for me, and it feels good. I-I am willing to try this out if you are," Ezra said slowly, the smile on his face growing as he watched one begin to grow on Aria's face as well. She began to nod her head.

"That sounds perfect," Aria said in a soft voice.

The two spent the next couple of hours on the swing in front of the bookstore. Ezra told her about his interests and about his very dysfunctional family, and Aria told him all about Scarlett. They talked about books and writing and even a little bit of music. Aria learned that Ezra was an expert on most of the classics in literature, and Ezra learned that Aria kept a journal that she wrote in every single night. He hoped that he would be part of it tonight. He made her laugh, and she amazed him.

Aria was unaware of how late it was getting until her phone beeped with a text message. Aria pulled it out and gasped slightly when she saw that it was already 4:00. She had been talking with Ezra for almost four hours.

_You don't have to rush or anything, but my mom will be home from work around 5 to take us shopping. Scarlett just woke up from her nap, and she's eating some grapes now._

The message was from Hanna. She was relieved that Hanna seemed to have everything under control.

"Is everything okay?" Ezra asked Aria hesitantly. Aria locked her phone and smiled at him. She didn't really want to leave, but she knew she had to get back home to Scarlett.

"Yeah, everything's great. I do need to get back home, though. Scarlett just woke up from her nap," Aria explained as she began to stand up and arrange her bags. Ezra stood up next to her and lightly put his hand on her arm.

"I had a really great time today. I'm glad I met you," he said, and Aria could see honesty in his eyes. She smiled happily at him.

"I'm really glad I met you too," she replied as she took a step closer to him. Before her mind could register what was happening, their lips were together, moving rhythmically and harmoniously with one another. Aria felt a million butterflies erupt in her stomach, each taking flight in a different direction. It was a feeling Aria was certain she wanted to feel again.

When they pulled apart, Aria smiled happily and began to walk backwards, watching Ezra until she made it to the edge of the porch, where she had to turn around so she wouldn't fall. No words needed to be said after that kiss; they both felt everything that could possibly be said. When she got into her car, she buckled up and then sat here for a few minutes with her finger lightly on her lips. Her day had gone from terrible to perfect in just a matter of hours, and she had Ezra to thank for that.

When Aria arrived back home about ten minutes later, she still had a blissful smile on her lips. She felt like she was on cloud nine, and she didn't think anything could bring her down. She couldn't wait to see Ezra again.

"I'm home!" Aria called out as she shut the door behind her and ventured further into the room. She smiled when she heard the soft pitter-patter of bare feet heading in her direction.

"Mommy!" Scarlett cried out excitedly as she ran to Aria. Aria grinned and swung Scarlett into her arms. She kissed her daughter happily on the nose.

"Hello, my sweet girl. Have you been good for Auntie Hanna, Auntie Spence, and Uncle Caleb?" Aria asked as she carried Scarlett into the living room. Scarlett nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Yes and Auntie Ali too!" Scarlett replied with excited eyes. Aria giggled at her little girl. She was so happy Scarlett was getting along well with her aunties. She was happy that they loved her so much.

"Is she here now too?" Aria asked playfully, tickling Scarlett's tummy as she did so. Scarlett giggled, inflating Aria's happiness just that much more. Scarlett wrapped her arms around Aria's neck then and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I missed you, Mommy," Scarlett said, making Aria's heart swell with love.

"I missed you too, sweetie," Aria said, and it was true. Even though she had been having a great time with Ezra all afternoon, she'd missed Scarlett the entire time. It had been that way since Scarlett was born, and Aria just figured it was a mom thing.

"Hey Scarlett, why don't you go get that picture you colored for Mommy and give it to her?" Hanna suggested from her place on the couch next to Caleb. Aria looked around the room, just now noticing her friends. Aria set Scarlett down so she could do as Hanna said. She watched as Scarlett hurried off, and then she took a seat next to Alison on the chaise lounge. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face, and all of her friends, even Caleb, were watching her with amused expressions.

"So, where have you been all afternoon?" Ali asked with a glint in her eyes. Aria tried to contain her smile, but she just couldn't. It had a mind of its own.

"I went to my parents' house and then to the bookstore," Aria replied with what she hoped was a nonchalant shrug. Her friends weren't buying it, though.

"And, how did that go?" Spencer inquired with raised eyebrows. She could tell that Aria was hiding something, but she knew they'd get it out of her sooner or later. She wasn't as hard to break as she liked to think she was. Aria shrugged again.

"My visit with my parents went exactly like I expected it to go, and it was really hard. But, my visit to the bookstore was absolutely amazing," Aria replied, unable to keep the smile from taking over her face again. Her friends were looking at her amusedly again.

"Okay, does he have a name, or are we going to have to sit here and pretend like you're this excited over some old bookstore?" Hanna asked, unable to wait any longer. Aria smiled, noticing that Hanna still had the same subtlety, or lack thereof, she'd had before Aria left. Aria was saved from having to explain everything to her friends just yet, however, when Scarlett ran back into the room and straight to her. She was grasping a piece of paper in her tiny hands, and Aria helped her up onto her lap.

"What do you have there, baby?" Aria asked, lightly leaning her chin on Scarlett's shoulder. Scarlett held the picture so Aria could see.

"It's you and me and a rainbow!" Scarlett exclaimed excitedly. Aria gently took the picture from Scarlett. To the average person, it looked like a few effortless scribbles, but Aria could tell that Scarlett had worked hard on this. She could just make out a big blob with a smaller one next to it, which she assumed was her and Scarlett, and several big scribbles in different colors above them.

"It's beautiful!" Aria said as she gently sat the paper down beside her and hugged Scarlett close to her chest. A content smile settled on her face as she inhaled and smelled Scarlett's sweet scent of strawberries and cream. Scarlett smelled like home to her. Her friends watched the young mother and daughter with smiles on their faces. None could deny that Aria really was a wonderful mother.

"I got you some new books while I was out today," Aria said to Scarlett a minute later. Scarlett turned and looked at Aria with an excited expression.

"Really?" the little girl asked. Aria nodded and grabbed the bag from the floor beside her. She reached inside, pulled out Scarlett's six new books, and laid them on her very excited daughter's lap. Scarlett immediately began to flip through the new books, pointing out what excited her about each one. Aria just listened to Scarlett's sweet voice with a happy smile as she stroked her long hair.

"We read this now?" Scarlett asked excitedly as she held up _The Rainbow Fish_. Aria smiled, having known that Scarlett would choose to read that one first.

"Why don't you ask your Uncle Caleb to read it to you now, and then I'll read it to you before bed tonight. Is that okay?" Aria asked, knowing that Hanna was going to explode if she didn't get answers from Aria soon. Scarlett nodded and hopped off of Aria's lap and toddled over to Caleb. She took a seat on the empty space next to him and handed him the new book, to which he took gently and began reading the words to her. Aria watched for a minute, loving the amazed expression on Scarlett's face. She got the same look every time Aria read to her.

A minute later, Aria stood up and motioned for the girls to follow her into the kitchen. She took Scarlett's picture with her and laid it with her purse on the kitchen table.

"Is Emily going to come by today?" Aria asked as she took a seat at the barstool. Alison took the seat next to her, and Spencer and Hanna sat down across from them.

"She got off work at 4:00, so she probably went home to shower and change and then she'll come by," Alison responded, used to Emily's schedule. Aria nodded and looked down at her purple-painted fingernails. No matter how much she fought it, she couldn't keep the smile off her face or the memories from talking to and kissing Ezra at the bookstore out of her mind.

"Are you going to tell us what put that gigantic smile on your face, or are you going to make us guess?" Spencer asked after a minute of watching her friend. Aria looked at her brunette friend.

"You don't think we should wait for Em to get here?" Aria asked. Spencer considered Aria's question, but Hanna quickly shot it down.

"No. I have been waiting for the past like half-hour for you to spill. I don't think I can make it until Emily gets here!" Hanna said, crossing her arms as she did so. Her friends all looked at her amusedly. Alison's phone beeped then.

"That was Em. She said she'll be here in about five minutes. Can you wait that long, Hanna?" Alison asked with a grin as she put her phone down on the counter in front of her. Hanna sighed dramatically.

"If I must," she conceded rather unhappily. Aria smirked at her friend. She was always the dramatic one.

"So, was Scarlett good while I was gone?" Aria asked, trying to make the time go by more quickly for Hanna by making conversation. Hanna brightened considerably at the mention of her precious god-daughter.

"She's a doll, Aria," Spencer said with a smile.

"She's really smart, too. She sang her ABC's for us today," Alison remarked with a smile. She had gotten Scarlett's performance on video, and she made a mental reminder to send the video to Aria.

"Yeah, I've been working with her on that. It helps that she really likes to sing too," Aria replied with a satisfied smile on her face. She was always proud of Scarlett.

"You should have been here earlier when she was fixing Caleb's hair too. It was priceless!" Hanna said with a giggle as she remembered the two-year-old decorating her boyfriend's hair with hair bows in every color. The other giggled too.

"She didn't bother him too much, did she?" Aria asked, suddenly worrying about her decision to make him read to Scarlett. Hanna shook her head, though.

"Not at all. He is completely wrapped around her little finger. I think he was thrilled when you got her to make him read to her," Hanna replied with a grin. Aria let out a relieved breath and smiled at the news. Even though she didn't know Caleb very well yet, she knew that he was very important to Hanna. She wanted to make sure that he liked her and Scarlett.

Silence settled around the girls for a few minutes, until the front door opened and Emily walked inside. She closed it gently behind her and smiled when she saw her friends waiting for her. Her smile grew wider when she saw Aria and remembered that she wasn't leaving them again anytime soon. She hurried over to them and gave Alison a sweet kiss before sitting down next to her.

"How was work, Em?" Aria asked her tan friend.

"It wasn't too bad, I guess. I had to break up a fight between two 6 year olds before they drowned each other, and another kid bit me because I wouldn't let her go in the deep end. You know, the usual," Emily replied, and Aria nodded, pretending to understand the chaos Emily worked with even though she really didn't. In that moment, she was thankful Scarlett was so well-behaved.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It sucks to be Emily. Can you please tell us what happened now?" Hanna said impatiently from her place across from Aria. Aria gave her a look and tried to send an apologetic one to Emily, but Emily was looking at her curiously.

"What is she talking about?" Emily asked, confusion etched across her face.

"Aria met a boy," Spencer replied with a smirk. The smile made its way across Aria's face again at Spencer's words. Her friends all laughed at her.

"Look at her. She is totally blushing!" Alison said as she pointed at Aria. Aria's face heated up even more at Alison's words.

"Okay, spill!" Emily demanded as she situated herself more comfortably in her chair. Aria let out a breath.

"His name is Ezra, and I met him at the bookstore. He asked me about the author's intent in _The Scarlet Letter_, and I totally convinced him to buy a new copy and read it with a fresh viewpoint. Then, he called me beautiful. And then we sat outside on the swing in front of the bookstore and talked about everything until around 4:00, when I left to come back here. But, before I left, he kissed me," Aria said in one breath, everything about her glowing by the time she finished. She had the strong urge to touch her fingers to her lips again, but she contained herself.

"He kissed you?!" Emily asked with an excited grin. Aria nodded, and Hanna squealed. If there was anything she loved more than her own love life, it was her friends' love lives.

"Aww! He's a book nerd just like you too!" Hanna exclaimed, earning a dirty look from Aria.

"What's he like?" Spencer asked, shooting Hanna a look too. Hanna held her hands up defensively, but she knew that Spencer and Aria were just messing with her. Aria leaned forward with her elbows propped up on the table.

"He's perfect, Spence. He's so honest and genuine. He didn't know about Scarlett at first, but when he found out, he said that he was willing to try things with me if I was. He loves books and writing too. He's just… I don't know," Aria trailed off with a far-away look in her eyes. The girls all shot knowing looks at one another. They had seen Aria a milder version of this back when she was with Noel, but they had never seen her look so alive and so happy before. And she had only just met Ezra.

"I'm so happy for you, Aria!" Alison said with a grin, bringing Aria out of her trance. Aria looked at each of her friends and grinned. She'd missed girl talks like this while she was away.

"Thanks, guys. I missed this so much while I was away. I missed you. I'm so sorry I just left you," Aria said, trying to keep herself from getting too emotional. She'd done enough crying for the day after her visit with her parents. Spencer smiled sympathetically and put her hand on Aria's.

"It's okay now, Aria. You're home now, and you brought perfection in the form of a two-year-old with you. That's all that matters," Spencer said with a smile, and Aria smiled a tearful smile back at her friend. She looked around and saw Hanna, Emily, and Alison nodding their heads in agreement with Spencer.

"But if you ever leave again, I will personally find you and drag you back here by your ears," Hanna said, breaking the emotional moment. Aria laughed at Hanna.

"I promise, I'm not going anywhere," Aria said, and she knew she meant it. After seeing how happy being home with the girls made both her and Scarlett, she could never just take that away again. They were home, and they weren't leaving again.

By the time Aria went to bed that night, she was exhausted. Hanna was already asleep with Scarlett snuggled up next to her, and Aria climbed into bed on the other side of Scarlett. They'd gone shopping with Ashley for about five hours, coming home way past Scarlett's bed time. But, they'd also managed to buy everything they needed to fix up both Aria's and Scarlett's rooms. Aria planned to get to work on it the next day.

But, for now, Aria reached into her purse and pulled her journal and pen out. She carried it with her everywhere, in case she needed to write while she was out. She turned to a blank page and dated it. With a smile, she began her journal entry for the night…

_Dear Diary,_

_I met someone today. His name is Ezra, and I feel so happy with him. I know I have only known him for one afternoon, but I feel like I have known him forever. He knows about Scarlett, and he still wants to try things with me. He would be my first relationship since Noel, but I know I'm ready. I know Scarlett will like him too. Something about him makes me feel like everything is going to be okay. I haven't forgotten the way his lips felt on mine, and I hope that I never will. I have never felt this way before, and while that is scary, it's also exciting. I can't wait to hear from him again._

_Aria._

**A/N: I am so overwhelmed by the response the first chapter of this story received! Thank-you all for your kind words and for following/favoriting/reviewing! If y'all have any suggestions of ideas, feel free to run them by me in a review. I am so excited to hear from y'all!**

**Jordan.**


	3. Wishful Thinking

Written in the Stars

Chapter 3: Wishful Thinking

A week passed by since Aria met Ezra, and she had heard very little from him since then. He'd texted her a few times and they'd talked on the phone a bit, but that was it. Aria figured he was probably busy with getting ready for the new job he mentioned he would be starting in a week. She desperately wanted to see him again. As crazy as it seemed, she missed him.

Aria, Scarlett, the girls, and Ms. Marin spent the entire weekend getting Aria and Scarlett's rooms fixed. Her room was painted a light blue color with silver dandelions and stars painted on the walls. She had a queen-sized bed, a dresser, a nightstand, a vanity, and a desk, which were all a dark wooden color. She also had two bookshelves on the wall opposite her bed. They were both filled to the brim with all of her books and journals, which had arrived in the mail on Saturday along with all of their other stuff they'd left in Nashville.

Scarlett's room was painted a dark purple color with music notes and the lyrics to "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella in white. Her room had a toddler bed the perfect size for her, a nightstand, a dresser, and a big pink toy box filled with her old toys and a few new ones from her aunties who just loved spoiling her. She also had two smaller bookshelves filled with books.

Although they'd taken a lot of energy and work, Aria was really happy with the way both rooms had turned out.

Aria was currently lounging on the couch in the living room with _The Scarlet Letter_ in her hands and a contented smile on her face as she read over the familiar and comforting words. Scarlett was had been taking her afternoon nap for a little over an hour, so she would be waking up soon. Aria was trying to get in as much reading time as she could before the toddler awoke again.

Aria was pulled from her bubble of contentment, however, when the doorbell rang and the sound resonated through the house. She let out a small sigh and laid the book down beside her. She pulled herself from the couch and made her way to the door, knowing that she had to answer it because she was the only one home. Hanna had gone out with Caleb, and Ms. Marin was at work.

The face Aria saw when she opened the door was not one she expected to see. Standing in front of her, much taller than he had been before she'd left, was Mike, her not-so-little-anymore brother.

"Mike?" Aria asked, unsure if her imagination was playing tricks on her or not. Mike stepped closer and pulled Aria in for a hug. She immediately hugged him back, a smile growing on her face as she did so.

"I can't believe you're back," Mike said in a voice filled with emotion as he pulled away and stared at his sister. He was afraid that if he looked away, she would be gone again. Aria stepped to the side and held the door open wider so he could step inside. As he did, she shut it and led him into the living room. Both took a seat on the same couch she'd been reading on just a few minutes prior.

"So, where do you want to start?" Aria asked, already knowing that Mike must have a ton of questions. She wasn't expecting his first one, though.

"Why did you leave?" he asked, his voice full of confusion and hurt. Aria furrowed her eyebrows at the question. Surely her parents told him about her being pregnant… hadn't they?

"Did Mom and Dad tell you anything after I left?" Aria asked with confusion. After he shook his head in response, Aria sighed. She felt aggravated at her parents for leaving Mike out in the cold, though she technically couldn't be too mad at them for this because she'd done the exact same thing. "Well, the day I left, I found out I was pregnant. Then, Mom and Dad found out. Dad threatened to make me get an abortion, and Mom just stood by and let it happen, so I left to protect my baby," she replied, hating thinking about the bad memories again. She looked at Mike and saw that his face was red in rage.

"That bastard! I can't believe he did that to you, and that Mom just let it happen…" Mike trailed off, disbelief joining the rage in his expression. Aria cautiously laid her hand on his arm to calm him down.

"Hey, it's okay. It's all over now," she said soothingly. She'd used the same tone with Scarlett many times over the past two years, and she was happy to see that it worked on Mike too. He calmed down just a little bit and stared at her.

"I'm so sorry, Aria. If I had known, I could have stopped him. I-I could have done something," Mike said in a guilty tone. Aria immediately pulled him into a hug to hush him up. She couldn't let him blame himself for something he never would have been able to control, even if he had known about it.

"This is not your fault, Mike. Nothing you could have done would have stopped Dad from trying to hurt my baby. I won't let you blame yourself," Aria said in an imperative tone as she hugged her brother close to her. The two broke apart a moment later, and Aria was relieved to see the guilt had washed away from his eyes.

"Wait, you said you were pregnant. Did you…" Mike trailed off again as he stared at Aria. It was just occurring to him that he may have a niece or nephew. Aria smiled a small smile and nodded her head. As if on cue, Aria heard a small voice come from the foot of the staircase.

"Momma?" Scarlett called out in a tired voice. Mike's eyes grew wide at the sound, and Aria quickly stood up.

"I'm coming, Scarlett!" Aria called out as she quickly made her way to where Scarlett was standing with her pink blanket she'd had since she was a baby in one hand and her stuffed lamb in her other hand. Upon seeing Aria, she held up both arms, and Aria scooped her up into her own arms with a grin. With one free hand, Aria pushed Scarlett's messy curls out of her face.

"Did you have a good nap?" Aria asked as she slowly carried Scarlett back into the living room where Mike was waiting. Scarlett nodded her head and let out a big yawn. Aria smiled softly at her daughter.

"Sounds like it wasn't long enough, huh?" Aria asked, to which Scarlett just nodded her head and laid her head down on Aria's shoulder.

Mike was standing up when Aria walked back into the room with Scarlett. He looked from Scarlett to Aria with a shocked expression on his face. He could see so much of his sister in the little girl curled up in her arms.

"Scarlett, I want you to meet someone very special to me. This is your Uncle Mike, Mommy's brother. Mike, this is Scarlett Harper Montgomery, your niece," Aria said with a smile. Mike stepped closer to the two, and Scarlett gave him a small wave.

"I'm so happy to meet you, Scarlett," Mike said in a voice filled with awe as he stared at the mini-Aria. Scarlett smiled at her uncle, but she stayed silent. Aria figured she was just tired and sat back down on the couch, this time with Scarlett in her lap. Mike sat down next to them, and he kept looking over at Scarlett, his smile growing each time he did so.

"So, she's two, right?" Mike asked, quickly doing the math in his head. Aria nodded.

"That's right. She's two years old and already a genius," Aria replied with a smile. Scarlett nodded in agreement, and Aria giggled at her.

"She's perfect, Aria," Mike said after a moment of staring at the beautiful little girl. Aria grinned at Mike.

"Thanks. I think so too," she replied as she looked down at Scarlett, who was leaned back against her chest with two fingers in her mouth. She had her blanket and lamb clutched to her with her free hand.

After a while, Scarlett perked up and opened up more to Mike. He was completely taken by the two-year-old, and, although his opinion was certainly biased, he would easily say that she was the most perfect little girl on the planet. Aria was thrilled to be able to spend time with Mike, and she was thrilled that Scarlett had her Uncle Mike in her life now.

She learned that he would be starting his sophomore year at Rosewood High in about a week, when she would be starting her senior year. He still loved playing lacrosse, and, based on what he was telling her, he had improved a lot since she'd last seen him play.

Mike stayed for a couple of hours, leaving only because he had to go to lacrosse practice. Apparently, the coach was beginning practice early this year.

After bidding Mike a goodbye and promising to meet up with him soon, Aria shut the door and smiled down at Scarlett.

"What are we doing now?" Scarlett asked, and Aria looked thoughtful for a minute. She glanced up at the clock and saw that it was a quarter till six.

"Let's go get ready and then go out for dinner. Okay?" Aria asked. Scarlett nodded her head and took Aria's hand as they began to walk upstairs to their bedrooms.

Aria quickly got herself dressed in a mid-thigh length purple summer dress and white sandals. She left her hair down in their natural curls and applied a minimal amount of make-up. She then got Scarlett dressed in a sea green romper with tiny silver stars on it and silver sandals. She twirled her hair up into a messy but still cute bun.

Deciding to walk, Aria buckled Scarlett into her stroller with a juice box and her stuffed lamb. After double checking that she had her phone and her keys, Aria headed off in the direction of The Apple Rose Grille, a place she'd eaten at many times before. She walked slowly and pointed out different things to Scarlett, and she listened patiently as Scarlett pointed different things out to her.

Aria loved moments like these with Scarlett. She loved listening to what made Scarlett excited, and she loved the way her imagination was sparked so easily.

After about half an hour, the two arrived at The Grille. Aria pushed the stroller inside and was relieved to see that there wasn't a line in front of her. She quickly ordered a chef salad and sweet tea for herself and a grilled cheese and milk for Scarlett. After paying for their food, Aria told the server that they were getting a table outside, and then she pushed the stroller back outside and to an empty table. She picked Scarlett up and sat her down in an empty chair, and she took her place across from her. Five minutes later, a waitress brought their food to them, and the two began eating.

"Do you like Rosewood, baby?" Aria asked after a moment. Scarlett nodded her head happily.

"It's so pwetty, Momma," the little girl replied in a content voice. Aria smiled and watched as Scarlett looked around at her surroundings. Aria looked around too, and happily admitted that Scarlett was right. Rosewood was so pretty.

"Where was Auntie Hanna today?" Scarlett asked a minute later.

"She went out with Uncle Caleb," Aria replied patiently as she took another bite of her salad. She watched as Scarlett's smile changed into a scrunched up nose.

"Do they kiss?" the two-year-old asked, making Aria laugh. She looked thoughtful at her daughter.

"I don't know, sweetie. Why don't you ask Auntie Hanna, okay?" Aria replied. Scarlett nodded her head, and Aria grinned.

"Auntie Ali and Auntie Em kiss too. I saw them," Scarlett said matter-of-factly as she sipped her milk through her straw. Aria looked at her amusedly.

"Did you?" she asked, and Scarlett nodded her head again. Aria shook her head and smiled. Sometimes Scarlett was simply a mess. Aria decided that she wasn't responsible for this side of Scarlett. Even though she raised Scarlett all by herself for Scarlett's entire life, she couldn't be blamed for this part. Not at all.

"Are you about done, baby?" Aria asked after a little while. She watched as Scarlett took the last sip of her milk and nodded her head. Aria then proceeded to stand up and buckle Scarlett back into her stroller. She swung her purse over her shoulder and began pushing the stroller down the street.

"Where are we going?" Scarlett asked after a minute. Aria looked thoughtful.

"Since it's still light out, I thought we might venture over to the park for a little while. How does that sound?" Aria asked, smiling when she heard Scarlett's excitement over their little adventure.

"Yay!" Scarlett said, and Aria knew that she would, without a doubt, do anything to hear Scarlett so happy again. She pushed the stroller with a content smile on her face for ten more minutes, when they reached the park. She quickly unbuckled the very excited Scarlett and helped her out of the stroller. She grabbed Scarlett's hand before she could run away.

"Be careful and stay where Mommy can see you. I'll be right here on this bench, okay?" Aria asked as she bent down to Scarlett's level.

"Yes, Mommy," Scarlett replied. Aria smiled and kissed Scarlett's nose before she let her go and took a seat on the bench behind her. She pulled the stroller next to her so it wouldn't be in the way.

She kept her gaze glued on the little girl as Scarlett sat in the park's biggest sandbox and attempted to build a sandcastle. Aria had to laugh at Scarlett's pouty expression when the sand crumpled instead of forming a castle. Nevertheless, Scarlett tried and tried again, amazing Aria with her hope in the sand around her.

"I heard you were back, but I just couldn't believe it until I saw you," Aria heard the sickeningly familiar voice say from behind her. She gritted her teeth and waited for the owner of the voice to step around to her front.

"What are you doing here?" Aria asked, coldness settling in her eyes. Noel just smirked back at her.

"You know, I could ask you the same thing," he replied in a voice that made Aria's skin crawl. Most of the feelings of love she'd once held for him had gone away the second he'd decided not to be a part of Scarlett's life. Whatever feelings were left slowly melted away every time she'd changed a diaper in the middle of the night or gone to school on no sleep or watched the sadness in her precious Scarlett's eyes as she watched all of her little friends with their fathers. She hated him.

Aria crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "I don't know what it is you want, but you can certainly forget it," she said. Noel smirked at her again, and she wanted to slap him so badly.

"I was just across the street when I saw you two arrive here. Is that my daughter?" Noel asked, gesturing toward Scarlett, who was still diligently trying to form a sandcastle. Aria didn't detect an ounce of love in Noel's eyes when his gaze met hers again, and she felt her blood beginning to boil.

"Actually, that's my daughter. You don't have a daughter. Remember when you said you wanted nothing to do with me or the baby? You don't get to waltz in and change your mind now," Aria said heatedly as she stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. She would never allow Noel to be in Scarlett's life, especially not when she knew that his intentions were only to hurt her and not to genuinely love Scarlett.

"Don't be stupid, Aria. You need me," Noel said in a condescending tone, enraging Aria further.

"I haven't needed you in over two years, and I don't need you now either," she said in a passionate voice. What she said was true, though. She had been both Scarlett's mother and father for Scarlett's entire life. When she saw Noel's expression turn to one of superiority, she rolled her eyes and took a step closer to him.

"My daughter is the best thing that came from us being together. She is the light of my life, and I swear to God, I will not let you hurt her," Aria said heatedly, fire in her eyes. She took one more look at Noel before turning in Scarlett's direction.

"It's time to go home, baby! Come on!" Aria called out, trying to keep her voice as light as she could for Scarlett's sake. She was more than ready to leave, as Noel's presence was sickening her. He wouldn't do anything to hurt Scarlett, would he? She hated thinking about it.

"You don't have to go; I'm leaving. I'll be back, though," Noel said in a menacing tone before he turned and walked off in the opposite direction. Aria stared after him, afraid of what he meant by his words. She just wanted him to leave them alone. Aria was pulled from her concentration as she felt a light tug on the hem of her dress. She let a small smile make its way across her face as she got down to Scarlett's level.

"Did you have fun?" Aria asked as she brushed a loose curl out of Scarlett's face. Scarlett grinned excitedly and nodded her head.

"I build a castle, Momma! Come see!" Scarlett said as she took her mother's hand and tried to drag her over to the sandbox. Aria laughed and stood up. She allowed Scarlett to lead her over to the sandbox. In the middle of the eggshell colored sand sat two big lumps of sand. Aria smiled at Scarlett's efforts and snapped a picture of the castle with her phone.

"It's beautiful, baby. Good job!" Aria said as she hoisted Scarlett up onto her hip. She kissed her cheek and carried her back over to where the stroller sat. She looked around and noticed that Rosewood's streetlamps were coming on and that the sun was gone. It was later than she'd thought, and she didn't like the idea of walking home alone with Scarlett after Noel's threat. She didn't think he would really do anything to hurt her or Scarlett, but she didn't want to risk it, especially not with Scarlett's safety on the line.

Aria sat back down on the bench with Scarlett in her lap, and she pulled out her phone. She quickly dialed Spencer's number and listened as it rang. Out of what she knew of her friends' schedules, she figured Spencer would be home. After a few rings, Spencer picked up.

"Hey Spence, it's Aria," Aria said after Spencer answered. She heard Spencer's light chuckle from the other end.

"I know, Aria. I have caller ID. What's up?" Spencer asked, making Aria smile a little. She began twirling one of Scarlett's loose curls around her finger absentmindedly.

"Is there any way you can come pick me and Scarlett up from the park?" Aria asked hopefully. Spencer paused for a moment before she answered. Aria heard the faint jingling of keys through Spencer's end.

"Of course; I'll leave right away. Is everything okay?" Spencer asked. Aria sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Yes and no. I'll explain everything when you get here. Thanks, Spence," Aria replied. She heard worry in Spencer's tone as the two said goodbye, and Aria set her phone down beside her with a sigh.

"Are you okay, Momma?" Scarlett asked in a concerned voice, and Aria forced herself to smile at Scarlett to erase some of the toddler's worry.

"Yes, baby. Auntie Spence is going to come get us, so we're going to have to sit here for a bit longer, okay?" Aria asked as Scarlett leaned her head back against Aria's chest. Scarlett nodded, and Aria began to gently caress her little girl's face. She loved everything about Scarlett, from her sweet button nose to her dimples that showed themselves every time the child smiled. Aria knew she would never grow tired of looking at Scarlett; her sweet girl was a masterpiece in how she looked and in everything she did.

Aria sat contentedly on the park bench with Scarlett for a few more minutes, until she saw Spencer's car pull up. She quickly stood up with a now sleeping Scarlett on her hip. She put her phone in her purse and swung it onto her shoulder, and then, with her free hand, she maneuvered the stroller across the walkway and to Spencer's car. Spencer got out and put the stroller in the trunk of the car, and Aria sat in the front seat with Scarlett in her lap. Since they were close to home and Scarlett's car seat wasn't in Spencer's car, she figured holding her wouldn't be a big deal.

A second later, Spencer got back in the car and began the short drive to Hanna's house, Aria and Scarlett's temporary home. Aria glanced down at Scarlett and smiled when she saw her sleeping peacefully. She then glanced over at Spencer.

"I ran into Noel at the park. Or, well, he walked up to me, I guess," Aria said in a quiet voice, watching as shock spread across Spencer's face. Aria was glad that they were approaching a red light. Putting her foot on the brake, Spencer turned to Aria with wide eyes.

"What happened?" Spencer asked, and Aria sighed a little.

"I was sitting on the bench watching Scarlett play, and he walked up to me. He asked if she was his daughter, and I told him that he couldn't just come in now and be a part of her life. Then, he said some bull about me needing him, and I said that I hadn't needed him in over two years and that I still don't need him. And then, before he left, he said that he would be back. What do you think that means, Spence? You don't think he's going to try to hurt Scarlett, do you?" Aria asked, panic creeping into her voice. She instinctively held Scarlett closer to her. She found comfort in the steady rhythm on Scarlett's breathing.

"Aria, calm down. Noel's an ass, but I don't think he's an ass that's out to hurt a little girl," Spencer said slowly, trying to calm Aria before she pushed herself into a panic attack. Spencer remembered many of Aria's panic attacks from before she left, and each one had scared her deeply. She pressed her foot on the gas as the light turned green.

"But, what if he is? I can't let him get to her, Spencer!" Aria exclaimed as tears filled her eyes. Everything that she hadn't allowed herself to feel at the park while Noel was watching was overhwelming her now. Spencer was relieved as she turned onto Hanna's street.

"He's not going to get to her, Aria! Listen to me. Scarlett has you and me and Hanna and Emily and Alison and Hanna's mom all watching out for her. He can't get to her," Spencer tried to assure Aria. Aria calmed down a bit, but not much.

"What if he tries to sue me for custody?" Aria asked worriedly. Truthfully, she had worried about the exact same thing ever since Scarlett was born, but she'd never worried as much as she did now.

"Then he won't win," Spencer said in a determined voice as she parked her car in Hanna's driveway. She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to Aria, who was very near falling apart. Aria was thankful she'd managed to wait until Scarlett was sleeping.

"Aria, listen to me," Spencer said in a soft but strong voice. Aria raised her head and met Spencer's eyes. "You are a wonderful mother. Nothing has ever happened to Scarlett because _you_ prevented it from happening. Noel isn't going to hurt Scarlett because _you_ aren't going to let it happen. No one can deny that you are amazing with Scarlett, and Noel isn't going to win this. I promise," Spencer said clearly with a small smile on her face. Aria finally calmed down as she listened to Spencer's words. She let out a breath and managed a small smile as she pulled Spencer in for a hug as best as she could with Scarlett still asleep on her lap.

"Thank-you so much, Spence, for everything," Aria said softly after she pulled out of the hug. As she looked at her friend, she wondered how differently her life would have been if she'd stayed in Rosewood instead of leaving. The thought hit her that she might not have Scarlett if she'd stayed. Looking down at her little girl, Aria knew she could never regret leaving; because she left, she had Scarlett, the best thing God had ever blessed her with.

"Anytime, Aria," Spencer replied with a gentle smile, though Aria was still looking down at Scarlett. Spencer was quiet for a minute as she watched Aria stare at Scarlett with tenderness in her expression. She hadn't been lying before; Aria was a great mother. Spencer was glad that Aria was back so she could witness her best friend being a mother. It was one of the most magical things Spencer had ever witnessed.

"Do you want to come inside for a while? I have to put this princess to bed, but then we can hang out and talk for a while if you want to," Aria asked a minute later. Spencer smiled apologetically back at her friend.

"I would love to, but Toby is coming over for movie night in just a little while. Rain check?" Spencer replied, and Aria nodded at her friend with an easy smile.

"Of course," Aria said as she opened the car door and carefully got out, balancing Scarlett against her chest as she did so. She closed the car door as quietly as she could and hurried to get the stroller out of the back seat. After she had everything out, she maneuvered to Spencer's open window.

"Thanks again," Aria said quietly, careful not to wake the sleeping toddler in her arms. Spencer smiled back at her friend.

"Quit thanking me! I'm just doing what best friends are supposed to do. I'll see you tomorrow," Spencer replied, and Aria watched as she started her car again and pulled out of the driveway, waving as she did so.

Aria smiled and waved back, then she turned and, as gracefully as she could, she managed to get herself, Scarlett, and the stroller to the front door in one piece. She parked the stroller by the door and went inside. She laid her purse down by the door and hurried upstairs to Scarlett's bedroom.

Once there, she gently laid Scarlett down on her bed and tucked her in. Since her romper was cotton and soft, Aria decided to just let her sleep in it. After gently planting a kiss on Scarlett's forehead, Aria turned out the light and tiptoed out of the room. She pulled the door so it was only open a crack, then tiredly walked down the hallway and into her own room, where she quickly changed into ankle-length black leggings and an old purple sweatshirt that said "Hot Momma" that Rose bought for her as a joke. She twirled her hair up into a messy bun, then left her room and ventured back downstairs with a yawn. It was only around 8:00, but she was already exhausted.

As she walked into the living room, she spotted Hanna and Emily on the couch talking. She smiled and took a seat in Spencer's favorite big chair.

"Where have you been all evening?" Hanna asked with a grin as she turned her attention to Aria. Aria scrunched her nose as she thought about the night's events. She'd loved going out to eat with Scarlett and then watching her play in the park, but then Noel had to come along and ruin everything.

"Why the distasteful look?" Emily asked before Aria could even answer. Aria sighed a little and brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.

"I took Scarlett out to eat, and then we went to the park. Spencer brought us home," Aria said, earning confused looks from both Hanna and Emily.

"Then why do you look like you accidentally ate the sour skittles instead of the m&m's?" Hanna replied, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Aria had to smile a little bit at Hanna's comparison. Only Hanna could come up with something like that and remain completely serious about it.

"Because Noel came up to me at the park and asked me about Scarlett. When I was about to get her and leave, he left instead and promised that he would be back," Aria mumbled back, her nose scrunching up in distaste again. "What do you think he means by that? You don't think he would hurt Scarlett, do you?" she asked as worry filled her eyes again.

"Okay, that's it. I'm gonna kill him," Hanna announced as she tried to stand up. She looked determined and fierce and like nobody in their right mind would cross her.

"Easy, Han," Emily said as she quickly grabbed onto Hanna's arm and pulled her back down on the couch. Hanna huffed out a sigh, while Emily turned back to face Aria. "Of course he's not going to hurt her, Aria. And even if he tried, do you honestly think we would let him? That _you_ would let him? I've seen how strong your love for that little girl is, and it's nothing to mess with," Emily asked in a reassuring voice, which seemed to calm Aria a little. Aria sighed.

"I know you're right, but I can't stop thinking about the what if's. Why can't he just leave us alone?" Aria asked in a distressed voice as she lifted her fingers to rub her temples. While she was so happy to be back in Rosewood, she missed the safe feeling being miles away from everything Nashville gave her.

"Because he's an asshole," Hanna answered easily, earning another look from Emily. Hanna huffed again and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't see why you won't let me go talk to him. I guarantee that he won't bother Aria or Scarlett ever again," Hanna said to Emily with a sigh.

"Look, we all want to go have words with Noel, but doing so won't solve anything and it might even make things worse. All we can do is just live our lives and keep Noel away from Scarlett," Emily responded slowly. She wanted more than anything to allow Hanna to have words with Noel, and she even wanted to join in with a few words of her own, but logic dictated that she do otherwise.

Emily looked from Hanna to Aria, meeting both of their gazes to ensure that they understood what she was saying. Aria didn't have a problem with Emily's solution, but Hanna's eyes still held fire in them. Emily knew she was just fiercely protective of her friends, even more so of Aria and Scarlett because she had just gotten them back and she didn't want someone like Noel pushing them to leave again.

"So, where is Ali tonight, Em?" Aria asked after a few minutes of silence. She wanted desperately to change the subject away from Noel, and Emily seemed to understand that as she sat back and smiled a bit at Aria.

"She was having dinner with her dad earlier, and she said she had some laundry to catch up on after that," Emily replied, slightly grimacing at her girlfriend's plans for that evening. Aria nodded at Emily's reply and then turned to Hanna.

"And, where's Caleb?" Aria asked, thankful that the fire left Hanna's eyes at the mention of Caleb. The contentment was soon replaced by panic, though, as she glanced at her phone and realized the time. She quickly stood up.

"Crap. I was supposed to meet him at his place twenty minutes ago for dinner," Hanna replied. Emily and Aria watched with amused expressions as Hanna scurried out of the room to get ready. Emily slid down to the end of the couch so she was closer to Aria and curled her feet up in front of her. She studied her friend for a moment before giving her a concerned expression.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Emily asked softly. Even though Aria had been absent from her life for a little over two years, Emily found that she was still able to tell when Aria was upset. She could do the same with Scarlett.

"I will be. I just don't want Noel weaseling his way into Scarlett's life and then breaking her heart and disappointing her like he did to me. I can't let him hurt her," Aria replied with a sigh, and Emily could sense the passion Aria had for her daughter and her protectiveness over her well-being.

"Aria, we aren't going to let Noel touch a hair on Scarlett's perfect little head. I know you're worried, but it's all going to be fine," Emily promised, wanting more than anything for Aria to smile a real smile again.

"I know," Aria trailed off. In the silence, the two heard Hanna shout a goodbye followed by the front door closing. Aria smiled a wistful smile as she laid her head down on her knees. "Do you want to hear a story?" she asked, making Emily smile.

"Tell me," Emily responded as she curled her legs closer to her body and gave Aria her full attention.

"A couple of weeks ago, while I was packing up the dishes in our apartment so we could move back here, I promised Scarlett that we could have a picnic in the living room while we ate supper. She was so excited about sitting on a blanket on the floor and eating off of plastic dishes, and she kept bugging me about what time our 'nicpic' would be. We still had over an hour to go before dinner, so, to keep her busy, I sent her outside to pick some flowers. She loves when I tie them together to make her a flower crown, and, since our apartment was on the bottom floor, I could see her through the window I was standing in front of. It was harmless," Aria said, and Emily watched as her smile began to disappear from her face. She stayed silent and waited for Aria to continue.

"She was doing great for a little while. Each time I looked out the window, she had picked more flowers. Then, I left the window for a minute to go get an empty box. I was only away for like three minutes, but when I looked out the window again, Scarlett wasn't there anymore. I dropped the stupid box I had gotten and ran outside. I was yelling her name, and I probably looked like a fool, but I just didn't care. I just knew that someone had seen her alone in the yard and snatched her up. I found her a minute later, though. She was chasing a butterfly around the corner of the apartment complex building. She couldn't understand why I scooped her up into a hug that I just never wanted to let go of." Aria took a deep breath and looked at Emily, who was still listening intently. As serious expression appeared on Aria's face, and the same passion Emily had seen moments before reappeared too.

"Em, in that moment I couldn't find her, I was so scared. I was terrified that I'd lost my sweet girl forever. And, amidst my frantic behavior, I prayed to God. I promised him over and over again that, if he'd just let me find her, I would do everything in my power to never lose her again. I promised that I would do everything I could to keep her happy for the rest of her life, and I swore that I would just forget about packing the stupid dishes and have our picnic early next time. Her happiness is the most real and pure thing I have ever witnessed, Emily. I mean, she will inevitably be hurt at some point in her life, but I will not let anybody, especially Noel, ruin her happiness before that time comes," Aria finished her story passionately and with fire behind her words. She no longer had her head laying on her knees, and her fists were clenched tightly. Emily believed every word the young mother spoke, and she vowed to help Aria with whatever she needed. She wouldn't let Scarlett's happiness get ruined either.

Emily left the house about an hour later, but not before she made it clear to Aria that she could call her if she needed her. Aria watched out the window as Emily's car disappeared down the street. After a couple of watching the empty street, Aria sighed and hugged her arms around herself. It had been an emotionally taxing day, and all she wanted was a hug.

After a moment's thought, Aria walked over to the sliding door that led to the patio and slid it open. She left it open so she would be able to hear if Scarlett needed her, and she proceeded out to the edge of the concrete patio. She took a seat, letting her bare feet enjoy the fresh grass, and pulled out her phone. She didn't think as she scrolled down to Ezra's name in her contact list and pressed call. She knew how crazy it was that she felt like she needed him after such a short amount of time of actually knowing him, but she would be lying if she said she didn't need him.

He picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?" he answered, and Aria had to smile a little bit at the sound of his voice. She was falling for him hard, and she trusted him not to break her.

Aria let out a small sigh. "Hey, it's Aria," she said. She could hear his soft chuckle on the other end of the phone.

"Funnily enough, that's what my caller I.D. just told me," Ezra said, and Aria smiled a bit more. After a beat of silence, Ezra began to sense that something was bothering Aria. "Is everything okay?" he asked lovingly. Aria sighed again.

"Not really. It's been a really long day, but I don't feel up to talking about it. I just wanted to hear your voice," Aria replied in a tired voice as she laid her head back on the patio and stared up at the stars twinkling above her. She had always loved the stars, even as a little girl. Scarlett was beginning to develop a fascination for them too, though she firmly believed that they appeared because God sprinkled glitter from Heaven. Aria hoped that her little girl would always be able to look at the stars as something that magical.

Aria and Ezra stayed on the phone for almost two hours, talking about everything and also nothing at all. Aria loved listening to the soft rhythm of his voice, and he had even made her forget about her problem with Noel for a little while. She loved that he could make her feel better by just being on the phone with her, even when neither was saying anything.

After wishing Ezra a good night, Aria pressed end on her phone and laid it down beside her. She continued to stare up at the stars as she smiled to herself. She was falling hard for Ezra Fitz, and she trusted him not to break her. She felt a connection with him that she had never felt before, and she believed that their relationship held much potential.

"Please, God. Let this work out. Let him be the one," Aria whispered as she stared, transfixed, at the brightest star above her in the sky. Although it could have just been her imagination, Aria swore that the star twinkled back at her.

**A/N: Thank-you all so much for your kind words and for reading this story. I have been working on a master plan of how this story will turn out, and I am so excited for y'all to see how everything unfolds! If you have any questions, comments, or ideas, please review and tell me! I love, love, love hearing from y'all. Other than that, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Jordan.**


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